Viewing page 8 of 13

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

Page 6.

hostile society can, through his art, retain his positive self-image, a sense of his own value and worth as an individual. Solutions to social and economic problems come slowly, and art is not an all-purpose panacea for them. While these problems persist and while they are at the root of much if not all of the frustrations, hostilities and agressive attitudes of minority groups, they must be understood and dealt with by all persons of society, including teachers in all areas of learning and teachers who conduct programs in art, particularly ones such as this.

The successful implementation of this program will require complete involvement, dedication and astuteness on the part of its administrators and teachers. A genuine belief in the human kind as a whole is needed. If racial, ethnic or cultural differences are recognized they must be assessed and understood as differences in ways of living and not as differences in human potential. Respect is essential by all concerned. It must be realized that many things, privileges and accommodations which the majority groups take for granted in everyday life are denied, tacitly or overtly, the minority groups; they have their psychological effects.

Much can be accomplished by "playing it by ear", sensitively, sympathetically, honestly. Success of the program can be inevitable, assured, and the fact that leaders in art education have offered of themselves, their knowledge and efforts, supports this assurance.