"...the fine arts are just about dead in our educational system..."
Well, I am not sure about the "fine art" and what it is. Compared to "foul art" or ""bad art" or...? Fine art is probably an art historic term. Academic art is another. But no art is finer than the other to me. I have been teaching art all my professional life and do not agree to anything that puts one kind of art above the other. Internet has billions and billons of pictures made by artists like me and others. Amateurs or not. Some art is promoted as "fine". For what reason? I recently visited an art exibition at the Nordic Akvarell museum about Disney early films. That is art.
Have a look at Pinterest or Behance and other sites lik them. They are full of art. Made by people like you and me, not by any divine ARTIST.
Art has become democratic.
Art history is interesting and is, and has alwys been, a part of the curicculum in my country. I have been teaching art and art history and examining it for over 40 years. This is what the core content for art history in swedish schools read:
"Contemporary art and documentary images, and works of art and architectural works from different periods and cultures in Sweden, Europe and other parts of the world. How images and works are designed and what messages they communicate."
That is what the students should learn and what the teacher should teach over here. Not only "fine art".
All kinds of art.
I like that.![]()