Why We Need Art Education
Click the links below to learn more about why we NEED art education in ALL schools.
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BIG ONE: Champions of Change: The Impact of Arts on Learning
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Abstract:
This study highlights the multifaceted nature of success in developing artistic talent among students from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. Key conclusions include the interplay of various success factors, the critical role of support systems, and the central importance of school-based arts programs. Here's a breakdown:
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Interconnected Factors for Success
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The study identifies several success factors that collectively help students develop their personal capacities and overcome obstacles. These factors vary based on the individual’s age, stage of development, talents, values, and motivation.
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A one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t apply; success comes from tailored support that aligns with each student’s unique needs.
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Broadened Definition of Support
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The concept of "support" extends beyond parental involvement. In economically disadvantaged settings, families often find creative ways to ensure their children participate in arts programs.
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Support networks frequently include extended family members, neighbors, and community members who help students access classes, performances, and other opportunities.
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Impact of School-Based Arts Programs
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​Programs like the Young Talent Program play a pivotal role in identifying and nurturing artistic talent. Students and parents consistently attribute their artistic development to such initiatives, which provide instruction, exposure, and resources.
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These programs are especially crucial in underserved schools and economically disadvantaged communities, where access to arts resources is limited.
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Challenges of Artistic Talent Development
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Artistic students often face unique challenges in traditional educational settings. Traits valued in the arts, such as creativity and non-linear thinking, can conflict with conventional instruction and testing methods.
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School policies, such as barring students with poor academic performance from participating in arts activities, can further hinder talent development. Additionally, professional arts training is often prohibitively expensive.
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Benefits Beyond the Arts
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For many students, the arts provided a sense of stability, confidence, and cultural assimilation, particularly for those from immigrant families or turbulent home environments.
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Participation in the arts fostered friendships, discipline, and resilience, giving students tools to succeed in other areas of life. Performances brought pride to students, families, and communities while exposing participants to broader cultural and professional possibilities.
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Broader Implications
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The study underscores the importance of making arts instruction accessible to all students. While the Young Talent Program benefitted many, its reach was limited to just 10 schools in New York City, out of over 1,000. This highlights the need for expanded and equitable arts education.
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Takeaway:
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Arts programs are transformative, offering not just technical skills but also life-changing personal development opportunities. By addressing systemic barriers and expanding access, schools and communities can unlock the full potential of artistic talent in students, helping them thrive both inside and outside the classroom.
Art Education Improves Academic Performance
Art (Education) Builds the Brain
Art isn’t just about creativity; it also plays a key role in harmonizing the brain's left and right hemispheres. The left hemisphere governs logical thinking, analytical reasoning, and language, while the right hemisphere handles creativity, imagination, and spatial awareness. Engaging in artistic activities allows teenagers to give their left brain a rest and let their right brain take charge. This synergy enhances overall brain function, boosting focus, concentration, and attention span—essential skills for excelling on standardized tests.
Art could be the secret ingredient to transforming study sessions from ordinary to extraordinary, helping teens unlock their potential and achieve higher SAT or ACT scores. Who would have thought that channeling Picasso or Beethoven could be part of their academic success story?
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Art also sharpens decision-making skills, as every brushstroke, color choice, or creative solution involves critical thinking and problem-solving. It fosters innovation and provides a fresh perspective that can carry over to other subjects.
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Visual arts, in particular, excel at building spatial reasoning skills. Activities like sculpting, crafting, or even doodling during long study sessions act as a mental workout, keeping the brain agile and ready for challenges. It’s like cross-training, but for the mind!
The article linked below (How Arts Training Improves Attention and Cognition) features information about how sustained training in music, dance or other arts strengthens the brain’s attention system, which in turn may improve cognition more generally. Evidence for such cognitive “transfer” is accumulating.
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Presented by Art Educators of Minnesota (AEM)
Art (Education) Teaches 21st Century Skills
More specifically....
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1. Creativity - Being able to think on your feet, approach tasks from different perspectives and think ‘outside of the box’ will distinguish your child from others. In an arts program, your child will be asked to recite a monologue in 6 different ways, create a painting that represents a memory, or compose a new rhythm to enhance a piece of music. If children have practice thinking creatively, it will come naturally to them now and in their future career.
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2. Confidence - The skills developed through theater, not only train you how to convincingly deliver a message, but also build the confidence you need to take command of the stage. Theater training gives children practice stepping out of their comfort zone and allows them to make mistakes and learn from them in rehearsal. This process gives children the confidence to perform in front of large audiences.
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3. Problem Solving - Artistic creations are born through the solving of problems. How do I turn this clay into a sculpture? How do I portray a particular emotion through dance? How will my character react in this situation? Without even realizing it kids that participate in the arts are consistently being challenged to solve problems. All this practice problem solving develops children’s skills in reasoning and understanding. This will help develop important problem-solving skills necessary for success in any career.
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4. Perseverance - When a child picks up a violin for the first time, she/he knows that playing Bach right away is not an option; however, when that child practices, learns the skills and techniques and doesn't give up, that Bach concerto is that much closer. In an increasingly competitive world, where people are being asked to continually develop new skills, perseverance is essential to achieving success.
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5. Focus - The ability to focus is a key skill developed through ensemble work. Keeping a balance between listening and contributing involves a great deal of concentration and focus. It requires each participant to not only think about their role, but how their role contributes to the big picture of what is being created. Recent research has shown that participation in the arts improves children’s abilities to concentrate and focus in other aspects of their lives.
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6. Non-Verbal Communication - Through experiences in theater and dance education, children learn to breakdown the mechanics of body language. They experience different ways of moving and how those movements communicate different emotions. They are then coached in performance skills to ensure they are portraying their character effectively to the audience.
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7. Receiving Constructive Feedback - Receiving constructive feedback about a performance or visual art piece is a regular part of any arts instruction. Children learn that feedback is part of learning and it is not something to be offended by or to be taken personally. It is something helpful. The goal is the improvement of skills and evaluation is incorporated at every step of the process. Each arts discipline has built in parameters to ensure that critique is a valuable experience and greatly contributes to the success of the final piece.
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8. Collaboration - Most arts disciplines are collaborative in nature. Through the arts, children practice working together, sharing responsibility, and compromising with others to accomplish a common goal. When a child has a part to play in a music ensemble, or a theater or dance production, they begin to understand that their contribution is necessary for the success of the group. Through these experiences children gain confidence and start to learn that their contributions have value even if they don’t have the biggest role.
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9. Dedication - When kids get to practice following through with artistic endeavors that result in a finished product or performance, they learn to associate dedication with a feeling of accomplishment. They practice developing healthy work habits of being on time for rehearsals and performances, respecting the contributions of others, and putting effort into the success of the final piece. In the performing arts, the reward for dedication is the warm feeling of an audience’s applause that comes rushing over you, making all your efforts worthwhile.
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10. Accountability - When children practice creating something collaboratively they get used to the idea that their actions affect other people. They learn that when they are not prepared or on-time, that other people suffer. Through the arts, children also learn that it is important to admit that you made a mistake and take responsibility for it. Because mistakes are a regular part of the process of learning in the arts, children begin to see that mistakes happen. We acknowledge them, learn from them and move on.
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Presented by Iowa Alliance for Arts Education