Thirteenth International Conference on The Arts in Society

Abstract

Being part of the Humanities and Fine Arts Department may sound natural for most universities worldwide. However, it is not common in most Mexican private universities. The practice and research in arts is almost nonexistent. Private universities are mostly interested in educating for developing entrepreneurship and technical knowledge in students. Nevertheless, at Tecnológico de Monterrey –the largest private university in Mexico– it is crucial that all students enroll in an arts course, at least, once. The challenge is to engage students from diverse study areas (from Biotechnology to Marketing, from Mechatronics to Psychology) in art’s critique, appreciation, and analysis. To do so, professors have shifted the main focus in education: from theory to inquiry. It has been vital to incorporate an inquiry-based methodology that allows students to exercise four fundamental components in the aesthetic appreciation of art: imagination, contemplation, research, and creation. I am interested in sharing how teaching art in interdisciplinary groups is not a hindrance; albeit, it is an opportunity for innovation. Students do not need to have an arts background to become engaged and critical spectators. They only need to be given confidence and a series of activities that break up with the tyranny of erudition.