| Why do we study art? �If you want to bring down a civilization, first bring down its arts.� ~William Blake When students ask me �Why do I have to take this class? How is it going to help me in my life?� I am sometimes left short on having a better answer than �It�s required by the school.� So, I thought that I would prepare an answer, while I had time to think, and to do some research, to come up with a bit more thoughtful and concise answer. The benefits of studying art are many and varied and they probably are as unique and personal as the art and the artists that create it. Below are some of the benefits that I could come up with, but I�m sure there is more that I haven�t thought of. In the spirit of full disclosure, I can�t take full credit for this, as much of it was pulled from Internet sources. (I have given credit where it was available.) Personal Growth and Self Esteem � The study of art allows students to acquire the tools and knowledge necessary to create individual responses to a variety of issues and is essential, not only in understanding life, but in living fully. Art education develops self-esteem, appreciation of the work of others, self-expression, cooperation with others, and critical thinking skills, skills vital to the success of our future leaders --- our children. "There's a sense of power" in starting with an idea and ending up with an object, says Shawna Erickson, director of program development for Worcester Center for the Crafts in Worcester, Massachusetts. �Of course, your product won't be perfect. But remember that it's just an experiment in paper and paint, wood, or clay. After you analyze your work, you can try again.� Drawing, ceramics, and other classes where you produce art are called studio art. You'll learn the principles of design and how the eye moves when it looks at an object. You'll learn why some designs are more appealing than others. You'll learn how to use color to achieve a particular effect. All of this will change the way you "see." You'll also develop fine motor skills and any skills particular to the art you're studying. "You'll gain confidence in taking healthy risks, which improves self-esteem," says Erickson. Awareness of the World - The arts have served to connect our imagination with the history of human existence. Studying civilization and creative expression throughout history and across cultures enables students to experience diversity and is multiculturalism in practice. The study of art teaches how people in the past used materials to express their emotions and to create beautiful and useful objects. In the process, you'll learn how the world has changed over the centuries, and how it's the same.The arts are a fundamental part of the cultural heritage of every student and as such, enhance the quality of life. You cannot touch art without touching values: values about home and family, work and play, the individual and society, nature and the environment, war and peace, beauty and ugliness, violence and love. The great art of the past and of the present deals with these durable human concerns. As art teachers we do not indoctrinate. But when we study the art of many lands and peoples, we expose our students to the expression of a wide range of human values and concerns. We sensitize students to the fact that values shape all human efforts, and that visual images can affect their personal value choices. All of them should be given the opportunity to see how art can express the highest aspirations of the human spirit. From that foundation we believe they will be in a better position to choose what is right and good. Creative and Independent Thinking � Studying art helps to develop critical thinking skills that will be important as children continue their education and as they enter the working world. Our fast-changing environment will require that future leaders - today's children - be creative and imaginative in problem solving. Students that are involved in art learn these thinking skills best. Major corporations like General Electric are pushing for more arts education in our school systems. They believe that the study of the arts will bring more creative thinkers and problem solvers to their work force. Workers that understand art will better understand the diversity of their company as well as the clients they serve. Workers that have studied art are better equipped to work collaboratively to solve difficult problems. Art class can help you become a more interesting and confident person. "Something happens in the brain when you study art," says Honee A. Hess, director of education at the Worcester, Massachusetts Art Museum. "Studying art helps to sharpen your creative, analytical, and critical thinking skills." Surprised? Here's how the process works. Let's say that in ceramics class you create a bowl. When you're done, your teacher will help you evaluate it. What about the bowl is good? What doesn't "work"? How did your original idea change as you worked with your materials? In answering these questions, you analyze the object you created and the skills you used. When you study art, you learn to observe the world around you. You also learn to ask and answer probing questions, according to Eldon Katter, editor of School Arts Magazine. You'll learn that complex situations need thoughtful decisions. You'll find that problems can have more than one solution, and that things can be accomplished in different ways. This kind of thinking exercises the brain in a variety of ways. aging linguistic skills. By teaching pupils to describe, analyze, and interpret visual images, we enhance their powers of verbal expression ~On to Page 2~. |