Courses
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 Curriculum
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    graduate

The Art Education Program at SUNY New Paltz develops artist-teachers who have a strong sense of artistic thinking and practice, knowledge of contemporary and historical art ideas and issues, and an understanding of the diverse cultural contexts of young people, schools, and society. It prepares teachers to make exciting and meaningful connections between the world of art and the world of children and adolescents. To do so, teachers must understand the content of, and possibilities in, visual arts practice and study, as well as the needs, interests, and capabilities of the young people they teach and the cultural and political communities of the schools in which they work.

Class size is small (15-25 students) to allow for direct and ongoing classroom engagement with faculty in art education, art studio, and art history. Most courses in the Visual Arts Education curriculum are taught by full-time faculty members who are extremely active professionally as artists, writers, researchers, curators, guest teachers in schools, educational consultants, and speakers at professional conferences. Visiting artists and art educators who teach additional courses in the program provide new perspectives and ideas within the art education curriculum.