Objective: Students will debate if advertising is art or if advertising is not art.
Materials:
- N/A
Introduce: As color photography grew in popularity, artists themselves were thinking about this very question – “can art be advertising?” They produced photographs for magazines or were paid by companies like Kodak to take pictures. Although this often gave artists access to the latest materials and provided them with income, advertising companies could be very specific about how they wanted their product photographed.
Ask:
- Can art be advertising?
- Can advertising be art?
- What is the relationship between the two?
Activity:
- Divide your students into two groups
- Each group should be assigned a side: art can be advertising; art cannot be advertising
- Have students debate this topic
National Standards:
- VA:Cn11.1.IIa Compare uses of art in a variety of societal, cultural, and historical contexts and make connections to uses of art in contemporary and local contexts.
Share your artwork with us on social media @milwaukeeart #MAMLearn or email pictures to teachers.mam.org. We’d love to see your creations!