Art appreciation among young people in Malta

Abstract

This research is intended to present a clearer picture of the current state of art appreciation and art popularity among young people. The study begins by trying to answer as accurately as possible, through the interpretations of various international authorities in the field the question 'What is Art ?' This has never been an easy question to answer, if there is an answer to it at all. The word' Art' in this research refers to the field of visual arts comprising fine arts, sculpture, installations, design, mixed media, digital art etc. The findings in this study, relate to young people's appreciation for visual arts today. The research was conducted by means of a set of two hundred questionnaires, which were distributed randomly among young people at ten different secondary schools, in Malta and Gozo. Several interviews were also carried out with art students, heads of art institutes and directors of art venues. This research also tries to identify whether our education system is giving enough weight to art subjects and what is being done in schools to encourage students with artistic inclinations to undertake further studies in this field in the light of the introduction of the National Minimum Curriculum. The interviews also reveal what is being done by art venues to encourage young people to visit exhibitions and to browse around museums and the newly opened St James Cavalier Centre for Creativity. 'Art' and 'Creativity' are the buzz-words of the new millennium, but what do these words mean to young people? How keen are Maltese youngsters to learn about art and its manifestations? With European standards as a reference the time is ripe to consider the implications of a professional approach to art and design on a national scale.