Art Production DEVELOPING SIGNIFICANT PRODUCTION ACTIVITIES IN RELATION TO WORKS OF ART Through discipline-based art education production activities, students (1) explore meaning through the historical, critical, and aesthetic content of a work or works of art; (2) recognize that artists make conscious choices of media and techniques to express particular ideas; (3) develop an understanding and appreciation of artists' challenges, ideas, and skill through the use of the elements of art and the principles of design; (4) develop an understanding of art and appreciation of artists' challenges, ideas, and skill through experimentation with art media and techniques; and (5) recognize that art media and techniques in the works artists produce reflect the technology and beief systems of the time period in which they were/are created. This approach also ensures that works of art will not be trivialized or copied. Significant art production activities based on an initial study of a work or works of art may be developed through a number of approaches: the meaning of the art work; the subject of the art work; the style of the art work; the media and techniques used in the art; and/or common themes shared by two or more works of art. In approaches that begin with an art making activity: the ensuing study of artists' works may relate to a specific theme; the following study of artists' works may grow out of the production activity; or the production activity may make subsequent research more meaningful. Goals to consider when developing instructional activities that foster meaningful art making: Involve students in activities which are centered around the main ideas and most significant aspects of the work(s) being studied instead of a purely product-oriented activity. Identify and use appropriate art-making activities that help students understand why the works were created; Identify and use appropriate art-making activities that help students understand how the works were created; for example, using media similar to what the artist used so that they are familiar with the process the artist dealt with and the potential and limitations of the medium. This is particularly important when the media or processes used are relevant to the work's interpretation. Design rich art-making activities that place the student in authentic decision-making situations similar to that of the artist who produced the work studied. Do not make all of the decisions for them; let them be creative. Encourage variety among the finished products. Help students to improve their individual art-making skills. Help students create works reflecting a variety of styles, cultures, and historical periods (even within the same assignment, perhaps). Remember that art-making activities that have allowed the individual students to think like artists will result in a wide variety of solutions and products. In no case should the student work look like a copy of the artwork of focus.