Art Education in the Age of Digital Cultural Media: From Aesthetic Reception to Knowledge Production and Creative Participation

Abstract

This study examines the transformations that art education has undergone in the wake of the emergence of digital cultural media, as a new space for the production and circulation of culture and the reshaping of modes of reception and participation. It aims to reveal the transition that art education has undergone from a traditional model focused on the acquisition of skills and imitation to a cognitive model that makes art a field for constructing meaning, developing creative thinking and producing aesthetic knowledge. The study adopted an analytical approach drawing on the philosophy of art, educational sciences, the psychology of reception, and digital cultural studies, in order to understand the transformations affecting the roles of learners, the nature of the artwork, and the position of the recipient within the digital environment. The findings revealed that digital cultural media is no longer merely a medium for transmitting works of art, but has become an interactive space that reshapes the relationship between the artist and the audience, transforming the recipient from a consumer of content into a participant in the production of its meanings. The study concludes that contemporary art education is called upon to develop a new model that combines aesthetics, technology and critical thinking, transforming the learner into a cultural agent capable of producing artistic knowledge and participating in the shaping of visual culture within the digital creative community. Keywords: art education; digital cultural media; aesthetic reception; visual culture; participatory creativity.     Received Date: June 19, 2026 Accepted Date: July 10, 2026 Published Date: August 01, 2026 Available Online at: https://www.ijsrisjournal.com/index.php/ojsfiles/article/view/809