The Arts and the Authentic Learner

Abstract

Amidst a goal-oriented society driven by a market economy, knowing one’s truer values and finding a sense of personal authenticity may seem challenging. With the view that education is to prepare a student for a meaningful life, this paper looks toward how arts education and the encouragement of aesthetic experience can go a long way toward helping students find a sense of authenticity in their lives. The arts foster a connection with the self as well as with our peers and the culture of which we are a part. The humanizing characteristics of art such as the emotions, intuition, our bodies and senses, and our beliefs are explored, as is the role of contemporary art. While this paper takes the viewpoint of a visual artist, the ideas apply to the arts in general.