SophieJones

MSWriting
7/21/14

OntheImportanceofArtEducation
Artwashesfromthesoulthedustofeverydaylife.
PabloPicasso
Artisapartofthehumancondition.Languageisanart,theartofaddingjusttherightwords
andphrasestocompletelycaptureanimagewiththemerecharactersavailable.Arithmeticisanartwith
itsmanycalculatedsymbolsandformulas.Scienceistheartoftestingtheuniverse.Artisineverything
wesayorwedo,everythingweseeandwefeel.Artiscreatedbecausemankindispassionate,strong
andcuriousandartneedstobeapartoftheschoolcurricula.
Artgivesmeaningtoourlives.Itencouragesus,challengesus,anddefinesus.WhenIwas
inelementryschool,wehadartandmusicclassonceeveryweek,whichmadetherestoftheweek
feellikeadrag.Schoolboardswonderedwhygrades,attendanceandgraduationrateswere
droppingbutwhattheydontconsideristhatarteducationdoesimproveallofthesethings.
AccordingtoastudyofMissouripublicschoolsin2010,greaterartseducationledtofewer
disciplinaryinfractionsandhigherattendance,graduationratesandtestscores.Anotherstudyin
2006attheSolomonR.GuggenheimMuseum,showedalinkbetweenartseducationandimproved
literacyskills.AccordingtoareportreleasedbyCenterforArtsEducation,withdatagatheredover
twoyearsfrommorethan200schools,foundthatschoolsofferingartsprogramshadthehighest
ratesofgraduatingstudents.Incontrast,schoolsinthebottomthirdofgraduationratesoffered
studentstheleastaccesstoartsprogramsandthefewestresourcesforartseducation.With
betterartprogramsinschools,Studentsfuturesareimproveddrastically.Whatmakesarteducation
evenmoreessential,isthefactthatartimprovesthequalityoflife.Newbrainresearchconductedby
ProfessorNormanMWeinbergerattheUniversityofCalifornia,showsthatnotonlydoesmusic
improveskillsinmathandreading,butitpromotescreativity,socialdevelopment,personality
adjustment,andselfworth.NobelprizewinningphysicistMaxPlanckoncesaid,"Thecreative
scientistneedsanartisticimagination."Artfostersinnovation,whichisincrediblyvaluableintodays
marketplace.Quiteafewmachinesofourmodernworldwouldnotexistwithouttheinventor/artist
LeonardoDaVinci,whounderstoodimportanceofarteducationbetterthananyoftodays
congressmen.
Notonlyshouldarteducationbeintegratedintoschools,butitshouldbeintegratedintothe
homesofourfamilies.Childrenshouldfeelfreetogrow,bethemselvesandbeexpressivewithmore
thanjusttheirvoice.Itismorethanjustmakingsureyourchildishappyandimaginative,but,according
toanarticleonpbs,Studiesshowithelpswithmotorskills,languagedevelopment,decisionmaking,
visuallearning,inventiveness,culturalawarenessandimprovedacademicperformance.Peoplesaythat
noteverychildisverycreativebutthatsjustnottrue.AnarticleinnewsweeksuggeststhatOnelikely
culpritisthenumberofhourskidsnowspendinfrontoftheTVandplayingvideogamesratherthan
engagingincreativeactivities.Anotheristhelackofcreativitydevelopmentinourschools.Ineffect,its
lefttotheluckofthedrawwhobecomescreative:theresnoconcertedefforttonurturethecreativityof
allchildren.Inotherwords,anyonecanbecreative,whengiventherighttoolsandresourcesand
accordingtoanarticleonedutopia.org,itcanhelpcreatethefoundationtoforgesocialbondsand
communitycohesion.Andstrongartsprogramminginschoolshelpscloseagapthathasleftmanya
childbehind:FromMozartforbabiestotutusfortoddlerstofamilytripstothemuseum,thechildrenof
affluent,aspiringparentsgenerallygetexposedtotheartswhetherornotpublicschoolsprovidethem.
Sothereisstillhope.Thesoonerweopenupournextgenerationsheartsandminds,thebetterwecan
preparethemtobemembersofamorejust,understanding,peacefulsociety.
Manypeoplewillsaythatartseducationisaluxury,andthatmoretimeshouldbespenton
academics,buttheyarewrong.AccordingtoawashingtonpostarticlebyLisaPhillips,Creative
individualsareactuallyindemand.Notjustforartscareers,butforcareersinbusinessaswell.Inan
erawhenbusinessesareconstantlystrugglingtofindcreativewaystostayatthetopoftheirmarket,
artseducationcanbeapowerfultooltonurturethecreativeabilitiesofouryoungpeople,ensuring
theyarereadyfortheskillsthatareindemand.Anotherarticleinnewsweekseemstoagree,stating
thatArecentIBMpollof1,500CEOsidentifiedcreativityastheNo.1leadershipcompetency
ofthefuture.Yetitsnotjustaboutsustainingournationseconomicgrowth.Allaroundusare
mattersofnationalandinternationalimportancethatarecryingoutforcreativesolutions,fromsaving
theGulfofMexicotobringingpeacetoAfghanistantodeliveringhealthcare.Creativepeopleare
neededinsociety.Shouldntwegiveourchildrenthetoolsthattheyneedtokind,justandequal
membersofsociety?andIdontrememberwhenthebettermentofoursocietywasconsidered
anythingbutessential.
Thoughschoolsmaythinkthatremovingartswillfreechildrenofdistractions,itmakesclassesboring
andchildrenfeelunpreparedandnotmotivatedtodowell.Thoughomittingartfromschool
curricula,whetherbecauseofbudgetortimeconstraintsorcensorship,isnotonaparwithpillaging
thepastorthwartingfreeexpression,itdoesimpoverishlearninginwaysthatcompromisethecore
subjectareasroutinelyinvokedasessential:reading,writing,andarithmetic.Allthreearecoextensive
withartsomuchsoastobeinseparable.saysJeffreyT.SchnappofEdutopia.org.Theartsare
tiedtoeverythingweknow.Artswecanupliftoursociety,makeitabetterplace,makeourchildren
intothepeoplewhohelpfixtheworld,andgivethemthefreedomtoexpressthemselveshowthey
please.
Artisapartofthehumancondition.Ifweteachourchildrentoutilizetheircreativeabilities,we
couldmakeoursocietyamuchmoreintellectualanddevelopedsociety.Artisessentialintherevivalof
oursocietyanditsmetamorphosisintoacultured,justified,andfreeworld.Artiscreatedbecause
mankindispassionate,strongandcurious,andwemustgivefuturegenerationsthefreedomof
expressionandthetoolstofixallthatwehavedonewronginthepast.