Does Gorky Make You Smarter?
Arshile Gorky "The Artist and His Mother" 1926-36 oil on canvas 60 x 50 in. Whitney Museum of American Art, New York Gift of Julien Levy for Maro and Natasha Gorky in memory of their father © 2000 Estate of Arshile Gorky/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York Today's New York Times reports that a new study by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum suggests that "learning about paintings and sculpture helps children become better students in other areas." The study cites "improvements in a range of literacy skills among students who took part in a program in which the Guggenheim sends artists into schools. The study, now in its second year, interviewed hundreds of New York City third graders, some of whom had participated in the Guggenheim program, called Learning Through Art, and others who did not." "The study found that students in the program performed better in six categories of literacy and critical thinking skills — including thorough descripti...
