“Arts education aids students in skills needed in the workplace: flexibility, the ability to solve problems and communicate, the ability to learn new skills, to be creative and innovative, and to strive for excellence.” – Joseph M. Calahan, Director of Cooperate Communications, Xerox Corporation
Art Education is not only investing in creativity but also in decision making and critical thinking skills. Art making is a process. From children to adults, artists require decisions on overall aesthetic—color, line, and shape and not to mention on theme and subject matter. Sometimes such decisions come naturally. However, developing the notion to ask ‘why’ is not always executed in other course areas. Above is a quote from Joseph M. Calahan. He talks about how art education begins to aid children for adulthood. Art education creates projects that develop skills that are not taught until a person is out in the workplace.
Art is more than creating crafts or keeping children occupied. Art is another opportunity to reiterate other core subjects and to try new approaches. In a school setting, the art classroom may be doing a project on pattern or perspective, which could be related to what a student is learning in their math class. Dark room photography requires chemistry in its practice and learning about art movements can be connected to history/social studies classes.
Art education is also important in the community. Ann P. Kahn, former president of the National PTA once said, “The creative arts are the measure and reflection of our civilization. They offer many children an opportunity to see life with a larger perspective…the moral values we treasure are reflected in the beauty and truth that is emotionally transmitted through the arts. The arts say something about us to future generations.” Community art is able to develop real world connections and can give people the option of participating in social areas. Art advocates are not saying that art education is the most important subject for students and adults. They are saying that it is just as valuable to the individual and to our society to use art as a tool for growth.
Art Information: Steam Engine by Leo Tujak. View his portfolio here.