by Peter Catalanotto

Questions for Philosophical Discussion
by Kate Vigour, revised by Lindsay Kurahara
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The nature of contests.

In this story, Emily’s school has an art contest and the students discuss different kinds of races:

1. Who has been in an art contest?
2. What other types of contests have you been in?
3. Does a contest always have to be a race?
4. Have any of you ever seen a science fair?
5. How is a winner decided in a running race? Science fair? Art contest?
6. Are there differences between a science fair or running a race - even though both have a winner? If so, what are they?
7. Does the judging/winning differ between the two? If so, how?
8. Is one contest easier to judge than the other? If so, how?

What is art & what makes an artist?

In this story, Emily’s artwork was not chosen as the winner of the art contest:

1. What are some things that you consider to be art?
2. What makes something a piece of artwork?
3. What is art?
4. Does art have to be man-made?
5. Who decides whether or not something is good artwork?
6. What makes someone an artist?
7. What does one have to do in order to be considered an artist?
8. Can anyone be an artist?
   

Non-realistic vs. realistic painting – who gets to judge?

In one of Emily’s paintings she has four mothers. She said it was because her mother is so busy in the morning:

1. What does Emily mean when she says this?
2. What is special about her paintings?
3. Because Emily’s paintings are not the way things are in real life, are her paintings not as good as other paintings? Why or why not?
4. Who should be able to determine whether a painting is good or not?
5. Could anyone be a judge of “good artwork”
6. What happens if two people disagree on whether or not a piece of artwork is good?
7. Whose opinion wins?
   

Authority in judging an art contest.

In order for a winner to be chosen in the art contest, there has to be a judge. The judge in Emily’s Art is the principal’s mother. The judge says, “My cousin is married to an artist.” That’s why she’s the judge:

1. Does this make the principal’s mother a good judge? Why or why not?
2. Should there be a special person to be the judge of an art contest?
3. How should the judge be chosen?
4. How should the judge choose which painting is the best?
5. Does the painting that wins the contest have to be realistic or pretty?

Art from the heart - the nature of feelings.

Emily goes to the nurse when she’s not feeling well. The nurse asks her what’s wrong:

1. Who remembers what Emily says?
2. Does her heart literally hurt?
3. What does Emily mean when she says that she had ‘hurt her heart?”
4. Has anyone here ever had their heart hurt?
5. Why does Emily’s heart hurt?
6. How is hurting your heart different from hurting another body part, like your leg?
7. Is the healing process different for each type of hurt/pain?
   

The nature interpretation of art.

The judge loved Emily’s picture when she thought it was a rabbit but when Emily’s teacher told the judge it was a dog, she changed her mind and chose another picture:

1. Why does the judge change her mind and choose another picture?
2. Is this how a picture should be judged?
3. Should it matter that the judge viewed Emily’s painting as one thing, and Emily had something else in mind?
4. Is it possible to know what an artist was thinking when he/she painted their picture?
5. How would you ever know if what you think a painting means is really what it is supposed to mean?
6. Is it okay for people to have different opinions about what art is?

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