Governments and Cultural Investment

Governments around the world spend millions on art and cultural institutions, evidence of a basic human need for what the author refers to as creating aesthetic significance.

The Function of Art in Society

Yet what function or purpose does art satisfy in today’s society?

About the Book

In this thorough and accessible text, Hickman rejects the current vogue for social and cultural accounts of the nature of art-making in favor of a largely psychological approach aimed at addressing contemporary developmental issues in art education.

Updated Edition

Bringing to bear current ideas about evolutionary psychology, this second edition will be an important resource for all interested in arts education.