An evaluation of visual arts education at village institutes in terms of contemporary visual arts education

In this study art education at village institutes which has occupied an important place in Turkish educational history, especially the significance they attributed to visual arts education and the findings resulting as a consequence of this educational process are evaluted in light of contemporary art education. The study is a qualitative research based on written resources, scientific works and expert opinions. Interview and document analysis techniques are employed in the qualitative research. for the interviews, samples were taken among graduates of village institutes graduates or faculty members having worked at the institutes residing in Ankara and during the interviews interview form consisting of open ended questions was employed. Information obtained from document analysis and from the interviews were analyzed through descriptive analysis method. Village institutes are institutions aimed at educating teachers who would provide information and bring the republican enlightenment to the villagers. An educational understanding which is motivated to production, participatory, democratic, student-centered, glorifying solidarity and an education enriched with art is adopted. Art education was perceived as a part of life. Within a holistic educational system fine arts education has obtained a special significance. Bauhaus which was the first fine arts school based on vocational training, had influenced Tonguc`s view to art education and was reflected on the basic sytem in the village institutes. Today in visual arts education four disciplines aesthetics, art history, critical art and practice have taken their place as contemporary methods in art education. At the village institutes this method, without being explicitly mentioned, were to a large extent realized. Effective learning methods such as museum education, excursions, use of drama in education, development of the consciousness of collections were implemented at the village institutes especially during painting classes.At the institutes students have painted and donned painting ateliers which they have built with trestles they have built in their carpentry studios. They have engaged in a wide arts-painting education ranging from beautifing their schools, researching art artifacts, building class instruments and they have opened exhibitions in many parts of Turkey and organized art and historical based trips. Photography was part of the curriculum. Tonguc whose real profession was as a painting teacher, closely followed the measures and practices aimed at reaching the goals. Today the significance of art education has been appreciated as it has become the golden word in all aspects of 20th century education. A civilized person cannot be educated without a serious art education. In this century art education is approached from two angles. Education through arts or education for arts. At the village institutes there was both emphasis on the students` education with arts as well as there was education for arts and as a consequence world-renowned artists emerged from the Institutes.Today`s cultural erosion could have been prevented in a significant manner if production based economic policies of the republican era could have been complemented with the village institutes model, under the leadership of Tonguc, enlightening the village and villagers and if the concept of art could have taken its required position in the lives of individuals and society. Our view towards art as a society could have been very different.