Art and Human Values

"Art and Human Values includes articles, excerpts, and case studies that address fundamental, theoretical, and practical perspectives that consider art a powerful social and cultural force. The readings present an opportunity to examine your own and others’ aesthetic values and to explore how art both forms and informs culture. The readings provide perspectives of art as a language that advances multicultural and cross-cultural understanding while examining the political, regional, economic, technological, religious-spiritual, ethnic, gender, and generational influences that shape conceptions of art and artists.

The varied and diverse readings offer numerous perspectives on art, including culturally-based versus universally-based theories of art, and the role of cultural institutions and art policies on art and art making. Other topics include gender, race, and ethnicity in relation to artistic representation. The text examines contemporary and historical cross-cultural examples of art as an agent of social and cultural change and considers ethical practice and the creation, consumption, and acceptance of art.

Dr. Gregory Gurley currently teaches in the Arts and Administration Program at the University of Oregon. He received his doctoral degree in theater from Arizona State University where his research focused on eighteenth century drama for children and the use of drama as an educational means for social moral development. His research was recognized by Project Muse and in 2008 Drama and Moral Education: The Plays of Maria Edgeworth (1768-1849) was published by VDM Verlag Publishing. As an interdisciplinary arts curriculum specialist, Dr. Gurley is currently developing in-class, online, and innovative hybrid curriculum and serves as online mentor to other departmental faculty."