An essay commissioned by the J. Paul Getty Center for Education in the Arts.

Introduction: the value dimension in art education -- Plan of this essay -- The study of human development -- Developmental perspectives in the arts: the theoretical basis -- Developmental perspectives in the arts: some empirical findings -- The relationship between "natural development" and formal education -- Artistic instruction in formal and informal settings -- New constituents of art education -- A developmentally based education experiement: Arts PROPEL.