Ten years later, He Ling, a high school student in Xiangtan of Central China's Hunan Province, is still excited about the gifts.

"Those were the most unforgettable birthday gifts I have ever had. With them, I started to paint," said He, who has won prizes in some local exhibitions of children's ink paintings and watercolors.

For years, she painted everything she could see and find.

"I hope I can be enrolled in a good art school and become a painter in the future," He said. She now trains under an art teacher at her school.

He Ling is one of the lucky ones. Since childhood, she has found joy in art, and the pleasure she takes in painting is likely to accompany her for the rest of her life.

But for many other Chinese children, even those in big cities who have more opportunities to experience and learn about art, art is a chore. They do not find it fun, largely because of inefficient teaching methods or the pressure to achieve.

Beyond school walls

The problems facing children's art are major concerns for educators, scholars, artists, and directors of museums and art centers in China today.

A national project entitled "Endeavors for the Future: Children's Art Education beyond School Walls" has recently been launched by the Ministry of Education and the Chinese Artists Association. The three-year project includes various activities to teach tens of millions of children in China about art, according to Wu Hua'an, a Beijing artist who is one of its organizers.

As a prelude to the project, a national exhibition of ink paintings by children was organized last year and has traveled to 10 cities in China. The show was very popular, Wu said.

"This year, the first year of the project, events will be organized under the theme of 'Research and Exchange.' We hope to encourage the involvement of more art professionals and experts in the project," Wu told China Daily.

Wu revealed at least five major events would be held at the China Millennium Monument Art Museum in Beijing in August, including art exhibitions by teachers and children and a forum on children's art education beyond school walls.

"Art education is above all a means of developing creativity and free expression, rather than just a way to teach artistic skills," said He Yunlan, a famous art educator and director of the Commission for Children's Art under the Chinese Artists Association. "Even for trained art professionals, it is more important to develop the children's interest in, understanding of and feeling for life and beauty than specific skills.

"It is ridiculous and mistaken to expect every child to become a master artist like Qi Baishi (1864 -- 1957) or Xu Beihong (1895 -- 1953)," He said.

"It is also unwise to force children to learn art and practice art for the purpose of winning prizes in competitions."

Wang Mingming, a renowned Chinese painter and president of the Beijing Academy of Painting, recalled his own experience in breaking out of the mould of "art prodigy" to become an artist.

"I began to study painting at the children's palace in Beijing when I was six, and I have been winning international prizes since I was very young. But one of my teachers, artist Wu Zuoren, once reminded me that there is a major turning point at the age of 14 or 15. People who are trained only in technical artistic skills in childhood find it very difficult to change and take on a different adult perspective," Wang said.

"I had a very hard time during this transition period. Many of my classmates were not successful in making that leap and had to give up in the end."

Shao Dazhen, a leading art critic and professor from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, said that art is a very good way to develop children's personalities. "In the process of working with their hands, qualities such as patience, honesty and enthusiasm are developed. These qualities are basic to human nature," he stressed.

Ways of teaching

Guan Xiaolei, principal of the art school at Guangzhou Children's Palace, said she believes art education should focus on art appreciation -- that is, developing the eyes and hearts for understanding art -- rather than teaching technical artistic skills.

"A good art teacher should not only be technically proficient but also have an eye for good art and a basic knowledge of aesthetics, art history and art criticism. The teachers must know how to explain the different schools of art to their students with explicit and simple language. They should also tell students how to appreciate good art works based on their knowledge of classical works in art history," Guan said.

Yang Yongqing, a veteran art educator, noted that "children are born reformist." According to Yang, children are often bold and innovative in using tools, media and methods in art.

"An experienced teacher should not interfere with the experiments of children too much. The best way is to let them practice freely and happily. The teacher's job is to discover and monitor their progress, praise their creativity, and to preserve their interest in and confidence with art."

Some experts believe public cultural institutions such as art museums and art centers should play a more active role in teaching children about art.

"When I was traveling abroad, I often met groups of children in art museums. They sit on the ground looking at a masterpiece with their teacher explaining the work beside them. However, I have seldom seen that in Chinese museums," said painter Wang Mingming.

"Many children have won a lot of prizes in art exhibitions and competitions. But they have little knowledge of the masters in Chinese art history, let alone foreign artists. Efforts should especially be made to help children from rural areas visit cities and experience with their own eyes classical works of art in museums."

The Guangdong Museum of Art in Guangzhou and the China Millennium Monument Art Museum are two pioneering institutions in their efforts to promote art education. Wang Huangsheng, director of the Guangdong Museum of Art, said: "Teaching children about art has become more important for many art museums in China, which are changing their role from exhibition halls to major centers of art education and communication. But this is only just starting and a lot of work still has to be done."

Art education is not just about making nice pictures. It is teaching children how to think critically and use their imaginations. And art education is not limited to those with artistic talent but should be open to all. It is one of the best ways to improve the aesthetic taste and creativity of Chinese citizens, which is very important for the nation's development in many spheres.

(China Daily June 11, 2003)