Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Art Education...my two cents


While the group that presented last Friday did a great job of expressing why arts education, specifically music, is so fundamental for young minds, I thought I would share my two cents on why I believe art education is imperative and important. As everyone should know, I am an advocate for art and all things related, and was shocked when I heard how the Des Moines Public Schools would be making budget cuts that would largely effect arts education. Thinking back, I cannot imagine growing up and going to school without having art class. While my interest in art developed before entering school, it was definitely through art classes and my art teachers that my desire to learn more and do more regarding the visual arts increased. My art teacher in high school was my mentor; she encouraged me to follow my interest in art into a career. While some of you may not have had this experience, I want to challenge you to think back to your elementary days. Was it music class, P.E., or art class that was the highlight of your day/week? Given the opportunity, children have a desire for a release from the structure of in-class work. I loved and longed for art class, even throughout high school. It was the one chance throughout the day where I got to put aside my schoolwork and just focus on my creative innate spirit. I mean who didn't enjoy taking time out of their day to paint or draw or mold clay?

The one thing about art is that it is available to everyone. You don't need a lot of supplies to create a work of art. A pen and piece of paper will suffice. A box of crayons, markers, watercolors, whatever...all I'm saying is it doesn't take much. But the brain developments one achieves through the education of art are lasting. Art teachers not only teach about the color wheel, techniques, and design but how to problem-solve, think critically and outside the box, and communicate thoughts and ideas in a variety of ways. As the group last Friday pointed out, early exposure to the arts promotes activity in the brain. Art education, in particular, develops cognitive and creative skills which further develops the imagination. Art encourages inventiveness causing students to engage in a process that aids in the development of self-confidence, self-discipline, persistence, and self-motivation to continually make revisions to a piece in order to create a high quality work of art that the student can be proud of.

By participating in art activities with one another, children gain the tools necessary for understanding human experience and adapting to and respecting each others' way of working and thinking. Students develop crucial skills in cooperative decision-making, leadership, clear communication, and complex problem solving. The arts teach students to be more tolerant and open through multicultural and historical perspectives and through their involvement in the creative process.

I don't know about you, but these traits I described above sound an awful lot like what future employers are looking for. In fact some businesses host workshops to develop these skills!

Having art education in schools not only teaches and develops the above skills, but provides a haven where students can be who they are. Students learn to showcase and embrace their individuality. Art allows students to express things about themselves and the way they feel about the world around them, in ways words could never begin to. Without having a classroom, teacher, and time set outside for this, a student may never be exposed to this way of thinking, may never be able to fully appreciate the beauty of the world and the visual arts, and may never be fundamentally prepared for a future career.

For more info on this, visit the National Art Education Association at www. arteducators.org

--Carolyn

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