Professor Vows to Put Art Back into Core Curriculum University Daily Texas Tech University 20 October 1999 Article by Angela Loston

Reading, writing, and arithmetic.

To Dennis Fehr, as associate professor of visual studies in the School of Art, one essential subject is missing from this threefold formula for a complete education—art.

As a professional in higher education, Fehr said it is his goal to change the perception of art being regarded as an insignificant subject.

After teaching nine years in public schools, he witnessed firsthand how art was defined.

"I saw what an empty frill art class had become in many public schools," he said.

For more than 10 years, Fehr has led a crusade to implement art into the core curriculum of public education. After witnessing how educators in schools viewed art, Fehr said, he decided to show them how to teach the subject by emphasizing its content. "For me to change the field, I needed to give myself a bigger platform to speak from than that of a public school teacher, so I went into higher ed."

When teaching art courses, Fehr said instructors should link art and social issues. "Social issues give art its meaning, its lifeblood."

Fehr said he introduced this idea to the academic world years ago, and it is gradually becoming accepted.

"We have to teach the content of art," he said. "We can link art's content to issues such as racial tolerance and understanding of sexual preference."

The Texas Art Education Association named Fehr Texas Art Educator of 2000, and the National Art Education Association named him Western Region Art Educator of 2000. The Western Region is comprised of 16 U. S. states and three Canadian provinces.

Fehr said, "These honors are exciting because they show that my ideas, considered radical 10 years ago, are now being accepted."

Karen Keifer-Boyd, coordinator of the School of Art's visual studies area, said Fehr has made significant contributions to his field, including a number of important lectures concerning art instruction. She also said Fehr has contributed to the art world by writing a large number of publications. Fehr's published work includes his book "Dogs playing cards: Powerbrokers of prejudice in education, art, and culture," and a co-edited book, "Real-world readings in art education: Things your professors never told you."

In the classroom, Fehr motivates his students to become critical thinkers, Keifer-Boyd said. "He's extremely knowledgeable and well-read about contemporary theories, issues, and art. His advocacy of social theory has had an impact on the art field in Texas, the U. S., and some other countries."

Fehr will speak at 10 a. m. Sunday at the First Unitarian-Universalist Church, located at 2801 42nd St., to discuss how postmodernism has influenced art.