SchoolArts - January 2011

ADVOCACY
On Art and Art Education

Illustration by Rama Hughes.

Saying that art is about creativ- ity and self-expression is like saying that English is about creativity and self-expression. It is true, but not entirely.

Language is a life skill. An English teacher doesn’t expect all of her students to become Shakespeare. She does expect them to become literate though. She teaches them to read and write, to comprehend language, and to communicate effectively. How different the world would be if English teachers had to contend with the preconception that a lack of talent means there is no value in the subject.

Rama Hughes

create a brand. It is no accident that companies like Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, and Disney are recognized around the world.

Every school, every building, was created by an architect’s pencil. Clothing, cars, furniture, bridges, and even the space shuttle began their existence as drawings on pieces of paper.

Art as Language

Art is a universal language. Human
history is recorded in pottery, hiero-
glyphs, painting,
and architec-
ture. Our future
is planned with
diagrams, sche-
matics, floor
plans, and ani-
matics. Art delivers us safely to our
destinations every day. We all know
what to do in the event of a water
landing. We know where the near-
est exits are in theaters and hotels.

Roads are designed to tell us when and where to turn and where it is safe to cross the street. We all know that the octagon at the end of the street means stop. But did you ever wonder why that sign is red? We live and die by these ideas—ideas that are communicated very effectively by artists.

Almost everyone understands art, but very few people have learned to speak it. A careful look at the world makes an artist’s value clear. The books, magazines, and websites that we read were all designed by artists.

A complete art education
teaches students to see clearly,
to think creatively, and to give
form to the future.

Art’s Life Skill

Art is about making an idea into a reality. There isn’t a single crafted or manufactured object that didn’t pass through an artist’s hands. That is art’s life skill. It applies to everything from the telling of a story, to the functioning of a home, to the building of a business.

Consider the fact that every big business employs a fleet of artists to design logos, build websites, visualize and advertise products, communicate their messages, earn investors, and

Art as an Essential Life Skill

Not so long ago, art was taught as a fundamental life skill; as a practical tool for future engineers; as an observational skill vital for scientists. The nature and the quality of art education may have changed over the decades, but it is important to recognize that visual art shares something with every other language: It can be a fun, expressive medium, but it also has a grammar and a vital set of skills that can be taught to any student.

If art education is ever going to earn its permanent place in our schools, the full scope of the subject must be recognized. A complete art education teaches students to see clearly, to think creatively, and to give form to the future. And, yes, it is creative, self-expressive, and fun.