Contemporary Art in the Studio: Teaching Approaches in Preschool Education

The art studio class emphasizes creative expression and aims to provide hands-on visual arts investigation. The objective is to enhance the students' creative and research abilities while also acquainting them with the planning and execution of artistic teaching initiatives for preschool education. Within this framework, we explore the ideas and practices of contemporary art that have originated from the 1970s and 1980s up until the present day. Contemporary art distinguishes itself from modern art through a variety of means, such as the use of current theoretical frameworks for interpreting the visual arts. Students actively participate in contemporary art forms, including interdisciplinary art, the use of digital technologies, and community engagement in the artistic process (e.g., art integration within the community, socially engaged art, and art interventions). This course aims to introduce students to both digital and traditional creative mediums, social engagement, and community participation. Students produce art projects using digital media (video, audio, and digital art) and traditional media (ceramics, painting, structures, collage, clay, plaster, wood, and soap). They use diverse techniques to emphasize the conceptual aspects of their work. Moreover, they employ contemporary artistic strategies to gain a deeper understanding of the creative thought processes of contemporary artists.