Does Art Matter?
One of the primary purposes of teaching art history and related courses is to cultivate an interested and informed audience for the visual arts. This goal is based on the assumption (and experience) that knowledge of and involvement in the visual arts will make life richer and more meaningful. Works of art are also the best way to study human history because we meet its cultures and personalities face to face through the works of their own hands. Barriers of time, distance, and translation tend to dissipate. Their works speak to us directly and minimize language barriers.
Do you think this is true and that art does matter? Please discuss your answer to this question and link your answer to what you have learned in this course. There is no right or wrong answer, and you do not have to repeat everything you have learned in this course. Rather, you need to take some time and reflect on what the biggest impact of your learning about art and history this semester was, and did it matter? (I know, hard question, yes?)