Abstract

This slim text (184 pages, including endnotes, references, and an index) makes a useful addition to the literature on K–12 curricular matters, specifically on the place of the arts and aesthetics in the curriculum. The book is, as the author proclaims, a manifesto that advocates for the teaching of the arts to “all school-aged students” (p. 1), more specifically, “aesthetic education... ought to be a compulsory part of education for all students” (p. 2). That is, for Dr. D'Olimpio, aesthetic education is the central concern, but she argues that the arts are the best avenue through which to introduce those concerns, both in practice (making/performing) and in reception (perception/interpretation). She does acknowledge that the arts are not the only avenue to aesthetic engagement, but they are the most reliable. D'Olimpio takes the position that the aim/purpose of education is ultimately to nurture individual “flourishing,” her interpretation of the Aristotelian notion of eudaimonia. Inclusion of aesthetic education may well contribute to a reorientation in curricular practice that has a wider focus and is more receptive to alternative perspectives (other than utilitarian, consumerist orientations) that might point to multiple avenues to the good life.