Artistic Assessment

Since artistic work is the end product of an internal process combined with an external awareness, it is a challenge to evaluate and assess. In addition, there are a variety of different situations for which art assessment is useful; as this changes so does the focus of the assessment. Thus art educators may use certain criteria to assess their students, whereas mental health professioals may use a different approach. This entry focuses on assessment of the visual arts—drawing, painting, and sculpture—and provides information about assessment of these productions, giving the reader a sense of the variety of approaches and methods of art assessment.