Artistry in Education

This paper argues that the primary mission of education is the preparation of artists. The concept of artistry used here is not limited to the fine arts, but to everything made well. Well-made objects, processes and ideas, whether practical or theoretical, require aesthetic judgement, depend upon technical skill, reflect attention to proportion and depend upon imagination. The paper argues that these cognitive processes, so important in the arts, are critically important in all walks of life today. As schools are impacted by well-intentioned but often ill-informed policies that standardise and homogenise the process of schooling, artistry can serve as an important remedy to its mechanisation.