art essay

The final project for Part I of this project is a 2-3 page paper which outlines your ideas on what is and is not “Art”. Fear not! This paper can be made up of your blog posts (revised to fit together). This is the first part of your final paper for this project, and it is mapped to the graduation portfolio’s Creative Expression task rubric. You must answer all prompts fully and specifically to get credit.

I expect you to make generalized statements about Art.
For example, “Art should make us think in new ways”.

I also expect you to talk specifically about individual pieces of work you have viewed.
For example: “The art project about the starving dog was horrible, but it made me think about hunger, selfishness, and the artist’s role in a new way”.


What do you believe makes something “Art”? How is it different from “not-Art”?Specifically, what qualities does Art need to have?


Sometimes, works of art can have a literal meaning and a more abstract, metaphoric meaning. What role do moods, symbols, and metaphors have in your definition of “Art”?

What role does Art play in your life? What do you use it for? How can Art teach you things that more literal media cannot?

When you create your own piece of Art (as you define “Art” to be), what qualities would it have to possess? How will you ensure that it meets all features of your definition of “Art”?

Describe the process you went through to develop your definition of “Art”. How has it changed over time? How did you decide which pieces you wanted to look at and think about? How did these pieces change your thinking about what “Art” should and should not be?


Finally, create your own definition for what “Art” IS and what it is NOT.