Should all kids have arts education?

Looking at Art:

Looking around the theater when my husband and I go to a play, I see an audience of old people. I’ve noticed that it is not unusual to have galleries to myself when I attend local museums. I think the disappearance of art, music, and other arts programs in schools is having an effect on the young audience. How can anyone who has not been exposed to the fine arts begin to appreciate them? Arts programs benefit hand-eye coordination, concentration, risk-taking confidence, and self-expression. However, even if students never become artists themselves, their appreciation of the arts is seeded in educational arts programs. So often today, arts programs are evaluated by how they benefit a student academically and support other academic programs. This attitude about art misses the mark because the arts are an independent language for expression through music, movement, painting as well as other media. Without arts education, I fear that audiences will disappear and an understanding of our culture will be compromised. What do you think?

Work in the Studio:

As an art teacher, I always felt that my job in the classroom was to create an environment where students felt safe to take risks. Providing structure, introducing new paths to self-expression and providing support during the process of creating, was my ultimate goal. Teaching art is very different from art making, but an artist who does a good job at teaching will find inspiration for their own studio work in the enthusiasm and accomplishments of their students.

My high school students experience a primitive firing as they learn about Native American pottery making.