Art Advocacy Resources
the field, serving more than 20,000
members. Its mission is to promote
art education through professional
development, service, advancement
of knowledge, and leadership. Among
the many advocacy resources available
on the NAEA site, you’ll find Elliott
Eisner’s “ 10 Lessons the Arts Teach,”
“The NAEP Arts Assessment Tool-kit,” which offers guidance in understanding the Nation’s Arts Report
Card and communicating to others
about it, and links to other resources
that will help you be a successful arts
activist.
Edutopia and ArtsEdge
Edutopia’s February 2009 Special
report on arts education (
www.edu-
topia.org/arts-education-art-music-report) features several articles about
One of the first books I pur- chased as an art teacher early in my career was on art advocacy from the
The Arts Education Partnership
the latest research supporting the
The Arts Education Partnership (aep-
arts in learning and innovative arts
arts.org) is a national alliance of arts, education programs in schools across
education, business, government, and the country. There are also links to
National Art Education Association.
philanthropic organizations whose
related articles and videos on the
While I no longer have the book, it’s
mission is to promote the essential
Edutopia site. Similarly, the Kennedy
message continues to resonate with
role of the arts in the learning and
Center’s ArtsEdge website (artsedge.
me—art teachers have to always be
development of every child, and in the
kennedy-center.org) includes a nice
ready to make a strong case for their
improvement of America’s schools.
collection of articles on their Advo-
programs in the public schools. This
Visit their website to find news and
cacy Essentials page that offer tips
is true in both prosperous and lean
research-based publications that
and resources on enlisting others in
economic times. Fortunately, the Web examine the effects of arts learning on joining a movement to support arts
offers a wealth of resources that can
help in advocating for art education in
schools today. Here is a sampling:
students’ social and academic skills.
The Dana Foundation
The Dana Foundation (www.dana.
education.
Lastly, I recommend that you read
Sir Ken Robinson’s article “How
Schools Stifle Creativity” on the CNN
Americans for the Arts
org/ artseducation.aspx) is a private
Opinion page (
tinyurl.com/y8z2v4k),
Americans for the Arts (
www.ameri-
philanthropic institution that sup-
in which he discusses why his popular
cansforthearts.org/public_awareness) ports activities and publications in
2006 Ted Talk on the same topic reso-
has partnered with the Ad Council to science, health, and education. The
nates with people. He makes a strong
create a multi-year national public ser- foundation offers support for arts edu- case that the emphasis in American
vice advertising campaign to encour-
cation in schools through conferences, schools today on narrowly assessing
age more arts education opportunities professional development activities,
students through standardized testing
for children. The newest phase of the
campaign, called “The Arts, Ask for
More,” features a number of radio
and disseminating the latest news
items and publications on arts educa-
tion, including important studies on
devalues certain talents and forms of
creativity that don’t fit neatly in aca-
demic contexts.
and television ads that are designed
arts learning and the brain.
to educate parents and citizens on
Craig Roland is an associate professor of
why the arts are essential to a child’s
NAEA
art education in the School of Art and
Art History at the University of Florida
development and to persuade them to The National Art Education Associa-
in Gainesville, Florida. He is the author
include more art in children’s lives.
tion (
www.arteducators.org) is the
leading professional organization in
of The Art Teacher’s Guide to the Internet
(Davis Publications, 2005). rolandc@ufl.
