What Influences your self-image?

 I found very little research on art education lessons or projects that dealt successfully with the issues of identity and more specifically self-image and values. This leads me to believe that this is an important and valid issue for research.  Art education programs are frequently suppressed in school systems and art educators need to take the lead in creating change.  Art educators need to renew and revitalize the art curriculum by incorporating better multicultural, identity, visual culture, new media, and creativity lessons and projects that help encourage play, critical exploration, and questioning.  I really enjoyed reading Olivia Gude’s articles as they were very informative and tended to deal with topics of interest to me.  The discussions provided a fantastic forum for us to equally and collectively inform issues and expanded material for further research and implementation.