The Future of Art Education
The future of art education is in jeopardy due to the large budget cuts in schools. There's such a large focus on testing well and getting into university that art education is suffering. Our job as artists is to raise awareness on the value of an arts education.
Art’s value extends beyond just the theories of color and design. Valuable lessons such as time management, tolerance, and even math can be taught using art. Morals are taught through teacher behavior and classroom rules as in a traditional classroom but the students can also creatively explore their own morals through their works as each one tells a story. Tolerance can be taught by exploring and appreciating the artwork of different cultures. Students are taught to appreciate the beauty of each style and foster an appreciation for the people who made it. Math is taught in art through design. Children learn geometry through working with different shapes and numbers in art. All of these aspects can be found in the art classroom making art a very valuable subject to teach many lessons through one medium. Art criticism can also teach students how to speak about art in an intelligent way and help them learn how to take criticism from their peers.
Drama can teach many life skills that are valuable for careers outside the arts. Drama is a community medium; you can learn great team work and public speaking skills that can benefit you greatly in your job search. Dancers are often some of the most disciplined people I've ever met. They learn at a very young age about hard work and dedication.
The arts are a valuable tool to teach children a variety of lessons that extend beyond the subject of art itself. Morals and appreciation for diversity are just two that can make their way into the classroom. Art can also make learning math fun and interesting for students, while giving a concrete example of how what they have learned in math class can be applied to other areas of their life. Due to its diverse benefits, schools should more greatly value their art departments. Since art can incorporate so many different subjects and learning techniques, it should be better funded and considered an essential part of the school curriculum.
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