Thinking Through Egyptian Tradition: The Potential of Pre-Colonial Craft Working Methods in Art Education

Autor/in	Shafer, Ann
Titel	Thinking Through Egyptian Tradition: The Potential of Pre-Colonial Craft Working Methods in Art Education
Quelle	In: Art Education, 66 (2013) 4, S.43-50 (8 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0004-3125
Schlagwörter	Foreign Countries; Handicrafts; Cultural Background; Experimental Curriculum; College Curriculum; Folk Culture; Studio Art; Introductory Courses; Egypt + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Ausland; Handwerk; Kunstwerkstatt; Einführungskurs; Ägypten
Abstract	The January 25th 2011 Revolution in Egypt brought the eyes of the world to the "cradle of civilization" once more, as existing power structures toppled and hidden voices surfaced to forge a unified vision for the future. In many parts of the Middle East, and indeed all over the world, the visual arts embody cultural values and remain a touchstone in times of great change. For this author, a visual arts educator in Cairo, the process of political revolution has underscored the important role of certain deep, shared cultural values in the making of new, potentially unifying national expressions. As student work in an experimental curriculum in Egypt called The Language of Traditional Arts has revealed, both before and especially after the Revolution, there is a persistent desire to cultivate, preserve, and reinvigorate what is considered an essential element of Egyptian cultural identity: its Coptic Christian and Islamic cultural heritage. Although media coverage may focus on conflict between religious groups, what many Egyptians would rather emphasize is a long-standing shared cultural affinity. The 2011 Revolution thus strengthened young creative people's resolve to re-activate Egyptian interconnectedness and sense of community, especially in the arts. The present study shows the value of espousing traditional Egyptian crafts working methods to access and strengthen attachment to heritage, and introduces one curriculum as an example of how that might be done, not only in Egypt, but also in other cultural communities throughout the world. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	National Art Education Association. 1916 Association Drive, Reston, VA 20191. Tel: 703-860-8000; Fax: 703-860-2960; Web site: http://www.arteducators.org
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10