Music and art have traditionally been ways for people around the world to display and relate their cultures. When multiculturalism is effectively integrated into fine arts curriculum, students are able to connect to their own cultures as well as gain an appreciation and respect for ones. The following are ideas, suggestions, and links that can help educators bring multiculturalism into their arts classrooms.
Ways to Incorporate Multiculturalism into Arts
- Help students understand their cultural contexts through art and music.
- Display and teach about art and music of various cultures, not just "classic" (European) styles.
- Teach about different aesthetic perspectives (for example, there is an entire field of study dedicated to Japanese aesthetics).
- Invite artists from different cultural backgrounds into the classroom.
- Discuss different forms of cultural expression.
Links
Smithsonian National Museum of African Art
This site allows individuals to take a virtual tour of the museum's exhibits and provides art educators with many excellent resources for lesson plans.
Multicultural Music Education
This site provides one example of how educators can integrate multiculturalism into music education, serving as a model for educators in lesson planning.
Native American Art
This site provides educators with many examples of Native American art.
Asian Art
This site provides articles as well as exhibits of Asian art; its high-quality photos provide educators with resources for multicultural art lessons.
Kindergarten Cultural Art Lessons
This site provides many multicultural art activities for young children.