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A reprint from "Excellence in Art Education: Ideas and Initiatives," published by the National Art Education Association in 1986, is presented. The author calls for a synthesis of beneficial elitism, which is an open elitism in a just cause, and beneficial populism, which is a populism that endorses access to excellence for all.

The article examines the synthesis of elitism and egalitarianism in arts education. According to the author, elitism's strong point is its encouragement of quality and excellence although the meanings of both elitism and egalitarianism have been damaged due to their associations. The strong point of egalitarianism is its basic commitment to equality among people.

The author asserts that elitism can wipe out a program in the arts in education in the U.S., especially if the program is not supported by the people. According to the author, excellence and elitism have harmed the humanities although the pursuit of excellence should be the goal of every individual.

The article examines the role of elitism in the identification and nurture of talent in the arts, in music or in sports in the U.S. According to the author, the ability to acquire knowledge faster, perform better, sing more beautifully and play sports spectacularly than others is not predictive of how individuals will relate to themselves and others.

The article examines the impact of snobbism, elitism, sophistication and excellence on arts disciplines in the U.S. According to the author, elitism refers to an elite's membership in the elite group by meeting recognized criteria while snobbism refers to a snob's imitation of people who have achieved recognition by association.

The author examines the concept of elitism in arts education. The author questions public concerns about elitism in education in the U.S. because, according to him, teaching itself has no elite status in the country. The author also says that excellence in learning and in work leads to the growth and development of the entire culture.

The author discusses his own concepts of elitism in relation to arts education. The author says that elitism is irrelevant and thus should be neither an inhibitor nor motivator to aesthetic or artistic experience or creativity. The author also says that the act of encouraging aesthetic responsiveness and creativity in other persons is what makes arts education relevant.

The article examines elitism in dance performances. According to the author, only a select few, an elite group, become real dancers because only a few have the commitment to the dance and only a few have the ability to share the choreographer's intent with the audience in a special way. The author also says that the concept of artistic expression, aesthetic form is established within the substance of art.

The article examines the emergence of the elitism dilemma in cultural policy discussions in the U.S. According to the author, the dilemma occurs when a political or social elite uses elitism as a tool to argue that it is unrealistic to expect people to understand art which employees a high level of intellectual technique.