Art Education Through Religion

<p><em>Art Education Through Religion</em> is a series of graded textbooks on art and industrial design developed in the late 1920s by Mary Gertrude McMunigle who was Director of Art for the Diocese of Pittsburgh at the time. This endeavor was overseen by two priests: Rev. Paul E. Campbell A.M. LitD who was then superintendent of Parochial Schools for the Pittsburgh Diocese and Rev. Raymond V. Kirk A.B. PhD Dean of the College of Education of Duquesne University. Yes this art curriculum actually has an imprimatur!</p><p></p><p>Each lesson aims to improve the student's appreciation and skill in art while at the same time imparting both spiritual and character objectives. </p><p></p><p>Therefore the use of this series trains not only the eye but the whole person including the intellect and will. Students gain knowledge self-control accuracy reverence helpfulness and good manners as well as many other useful life skills.</p><p></p><p>Book Two builds on the foundation laid by Book One presenting simple techniques and principles to guide students to a higher level of skill in paper cutting drawing and clay modeling. Graphic design composition and page arrangement are introduced along with the building blocks of color theory: primary versus binary colors and tints. Religious and virtue-building themes from the first book are maintained but augmented with nuances which the child can begin to appreciate as he or she attains a higher developmental level.</p><p></p><p><strong>**An important note**:</strong> though the levels were designed to correspond with grades one through eight they work best as a system. If a student in the third grade or above begins to use this series for the first time it is recommended that they begin at least one or two levels previous to their current grade level and <em>not later than level five</em>. Many of the concepts introduced at the upper grade levels may prove frustrating to successfully master without the foundations laid in these earlier grades.</p>