Creativity-Integrated Art History: A pedagogical framework

Abstract

Art history offers a unique opportunity for students to encounter real, historical examples of the creative process in action. By showing examples of the complex process through which artwork is created, art history classes can provide emulative examples for the next generation of innovative designers, artists, historians, educators, and creative thinkers. Art history has a tradition of teaching Big-C creativity principles by highlighting creative products and individuals. Therefore, the art object is emphasized at the expense of unpacking the process and everyday, or mini-c, creativity of the work. At a time when the field of Art History is beginning to ask itself what it really wants students to gain from their classes, creativity should be one of those skills. The purpose of this paper is to present a pedagogical framework for reconsidering the way art history material is presented to students in a way that promotes personal creativity growth. The suggestions in this article take advantage of strengths that are already present in the field of art history, while also pointing out new means of bridging the gap between Big-C and mini-c creativity by incorporating principles of design thinking. This article includes a sample lesson of what Creativity-Integrated Art History (Cr-IAH) can look like.