SMART-SOFT Critique
Using class critique to foster the culture of learning in studio art classes
Marvin Bartel © 2008 "Leave No MIND Behind" author bio

Healthy critiques can more than double the amount of art learning because it nurtures the art studio culture for actually learning to think and express feelings as artists. It makes every result into a launching pad for the next great work.

In addition to facilitating art learning, the healthy critique culture helps students develop basic empathy and relationship intelligence. They become better people who understand how to make the world a better place. Once the studio has a culture of cooperative helpfulness and friendly competition, every student becomes part of the teaching/learning network.

Critiques are an important topic because bad critiques are worse than none. Bad critiques produce bad vibes. They discourage and kill creativity. They teach destructive behavior and drive away good students.

CRITIQUE GUIDELINES
As the decider, this is what works for me to help foster a creative studio art classroom culture.

  1. Have them draw a name or one or two other students and write first. They they will be more confident for the discussion if they have had time to study and reflect. I start the discussion as soon as most of them are half finished writing.
  2. Do not allow negative comments. If it happens, nip it in the bud. I say, "Oops, no dissing. Please restate as an open question. Make it neutral or positive." I call it SMART-SOFT critique.
  3. I require all participants to have one or more works in the fray.
  4. No suggestions are allowed -- only open questions that stimulate thinking and problem solving.
  5. During the discussion ask the artist to wait until after others have talked before the artist "explains" the true intentions of the work. The artist needs to learn how others are reading the work.

I like to begin the discussion on a positive appreciative note that acknowledges all the work represented. This is not a time to be negative about anything. Avoid using this time to rant or threaten. If somebody is out of line, I use humor to remind them that we all have our bad days, but now it not the time or the place. The critique is the time to be nice in spite of ourselves.

QUESTIONS:

What do you see?
Why?

What else do you see?
Why?

What is the most original or creative thing you see?
How would you guess it happened or how would you explain that?

What do you think is means?
Why do you think so?

How does it make you feel?
Why does it do that?

What open question does the work suggest to you? (state it in positive or neutral terms - no negatives)

What do you wonder about? (state it in positive or neutral terms - no negatives)

Yes, the teacher is the decider, but the creative studio art teacher is confident enough to decide to facilitate learning how to think by NOT making suggestions, but by phrasing open questions that focus thinking and allow each student to learn to be their own decider. The creative teacher coaches students to experiment and find out for themselves what works. Learning to experiment and learning to think by learning to self-critique is the essence of an artist's job. Without questioning skills, it would be hard to be a creative artist. Of course art also comes from the subconscious intuitive. We just do it without thinking, but we can still learn from it using SMART-SOFT critique.

If you like this page, try clicking on  Lots-a-Links about Art Education by Marvin Bartel
The previous 2002 version of this critique page is still posted as: Successful Art Class Critique at http://www.goshen.edu/art/ed/critique1.html
 
Percy Principles of Art and Composition

You are invited to link this page from your web site. 
Teachers may make copies of the Artwork Critique Form for Art Students for educational and/or non profit use. 
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Teachers are also invited make copies of Notes for Artwork Critique Form for their Art Students.
You must keep the copied by permission line attribution line with the form when you copy it. 

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