Taking Art Appreciation Virtual for Kids

Students show off their creations in a virtual cartooning & anime class.

One of the first things children are taught is how to create art. While this elicits creativity and gives them a chance to express themselves through an alternative medium, the impetus for teaching art also stems from the desire to cultivate greater appreciation for it. Art appreciation teaches pertinent observation and mindfulness skills, encourages healthy discussions, and motivates students to think critically about subjects at hand.

Rethinking Art Appreciation in the Virtual Realm

Art has been a very hands-on activity, but given current events, there is a need to rethink the way this is conducted and to adapt to what is considered the new normal. Art appreciation shouldn’t stop now, and it’s still an integral component of today’s distance learning education. According to Irving Lippman, executive director of Boca Raton Museum of Art, virtual art programs can still engage and educate children during difficult periods. If anything, the virtual tools and technologies that exist today secure the continuity of art appreciation classes, making them just as good – or even better – than their conventional predecessors due to their fascinating capabilities.

Online Art Resources

Several museums around the world have adapted to the fact that they won’t be getting any foot traffic and have therefore made their offerings available online. For starters, Google Arts and Culture has collated global museums’ collections for anyone to access. There are many child-friendly offerings, such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s MetKids feature that teaches an array of topics through artifacts and exhibits to make learning fun. Adults can always cater viewings to accommodate or complement particular lessons to make them more interactive and for kids to see them come to life. Artists like Mo Willems and Jarrett Krosoczka are also airing virtual illustration lessons for parents and kids to utilize. These instructive methods keep kids occupied, while inspiring them to keep creating art no matter where they are.

Empowering Children’s Freedom of Expression

While all this free content remains at our fingertips, dialogue must remain open to remind children of why art is essential to humanity. It can even be recognized in various practical avenues: in our homes, in the daily products we use, in games, interfaces, and vehicles. If you think about it, everything we see, encounter, and use has been touched by a designer or an artist. Moreover, art is an ideal avenue for teaching kids about all the issues plaguing the world, while also fostering empathy. With all this in mind, students may realize just how ubiquitous art is in their daily lives.

It’s important for children to be able to express themselves and think critically about social change, too, and this can be done with a simple set of crayons or even digital art tools like the Apple iPad or a Samsung Galaxy Tab, which can let artists of all ages and styles explore their creativity on screen. Whether you make art for fun, for advocacy, for entertainment, or for design, Winged Canvas can help nurture your creativity and build a strong foundation in visual art. Aside from merely feeding instructions and guides, we can assist in enriching art with serious skills and techniques. Lessons and topics are inspired by culture, history, and social issues. Virtual art programs likewise help art students nurture their craft under the guiding principles of art appreciation while ensuring the safety and ease of access for all parties. Free virtual art lessons have also been created and uploaded on the Winged Canvas YouTube channel, available for artists of all ages. As another effect, art has become a creative outlet for people of all ages to turn to for their mental health.

Coupling virtual tools for art appreciation with today’s turbulent landscape makes for art students who are sensitive, empathetic, aware, and able to express their own sentiments and concerns through concrete means. As art inspires feelings, it also encourages a healthy response.

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