Aesthetics and Art Appreciation

What is the role, if any, of parents and schools in inculcating the love of art? My interest in this question was piqued by a recent inquiry about the prospective purchase of a Picasso print. Nothing extraordinary there, except for the fact that the voice of my conversant resembled that of a child. Turns out that she was a high school student in a public school in Seattle. She explained that the school’s junior class wished to purchase a print by Picasso and donate it to the school.

I was also impressed by the upbringing of the friend I mentioned above, the one who would still collect only prints even if money were no object. His father, who had started taking him at a tender age to museums and galleries, endowed him with a small allowance earmarked for print purchases. My buddy has been collecting ever since, and by adulthood has developed a keen eye and a world of knowledge. –Kobi