THE ROLE AND IMPORTANCE OF EXHIBITIONS AND GALLERIESIN ART EDUCATION

This article looks into the role and importance of exhibitions and galleries in art education, pointing out the value these places have for experiential learning, creativity, and cultural engagement. It is in this study that such an environment contributes to visual literacy, critical thinking, and the total development of students and educators. This research, in which 120 participants from Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University and Kazakh National Women's Teacher Training University took part, was conducted as a mixed-methods study. Data were collected through questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and observations in physical and digital gallery spaces. The results show that exhibitions raise the level of visual literacy, inspire creative experimentation, and create critical thinking. The respondents mentioned that exhibitions allowed them to learn through collaboration because students discussed in groups and shared their views on a given work of art. Traditional galleries remained indispensable for their sensory and immersive qualities; however, digital exhibitions were reported as important complementary tools because they have increased accessibility and flexibility. Challenges included logistic barriers, and the need for more inclusive and diverse representations, among others. Results make a strong case for exhibitions and galleries as integral to or at least complementary in value to the art education curriculum. They also bring into view the contribution these sites might make toward addressing larger equity and representation concerns within educational environments. The paper concludes by calling for increased institutional support and collaboration among educators and galleries in working through barriers of access toward ensuring such experiences have transformative potential. Further research is needed into long-term impacts of gallery-based learning and may also include further consideration of the potentials for digital exhibitions in arts education. This study corroborates that exhibitions and galleries play an integral role in art education today, offering various intellectual and artistic development options that are not easily supplied by other means.