Thirteenth International Conference on The Arts in Society

Abstract

Although art and design institutions are arguably the most cutting edge and avant-garde institutions of our time, many of the fundamental underpinnings and core values of such, are based on educational theories established almost 120 years ago. In 1899, American philosopher and educator, John Dewey (1859 – 1952), published The School and Society, a ground-breaking text that laid out some of the key principles of the progressive education movement. This paper will focus on identifying central ideas contained in the first three chapters (lectures) of the book and illustrate (through words and images) how these principles are manifested in a contemporary, post-secondary visual arts institution today – in particular, the Emily Carr University of Art and Design, Great Northern Way Campus that opened in September 2017.