Start Em’ Young: The Importance of Arts Education
By Alexis Logan
The compelling social, cultural, and business case for redirecting funding back into arts education cannot be denied. According to Edutopia, an arts education can help “students develop skills like resilience, grit, and a growth mindset to help them master their craft, do well academically, and succeed in life after high school.”
My personal art journey started twelve years ago when I awkwardly clutched my first violin. Intrigued by a language I could hear but not understand, I embarked on a quest to decode the squiggly lines and dots known as music notes. The split-second decision to pick up a violin offered through my school’s music department truly changed the trajectory of my life.
As I grew older, music served as one of the pillars I continually returned to, giving me an outlet to express myself in a way that words often couldn't. Whether I was performing in a youth orchestra or playing my violin for hospital patients, music became part of my identity. It gave me a space where I could escape the stress of the outside world. Music truly came to develop and define my sense of self into something beautiful.
The art form that I was fortunate enough to be introduced to is what helped to make me into the person that I am today. This is something that every child should have the opportunity to experience. Yet, nationwide public schools have experienced dramatic budget cuts in the last fifteen years. Music, media arts, theater, dance, and visual arts have suffered. These cuts have forced schools to prioritize which subjects their funds should be put into, and art classes are often neglected in these decisions. This is largely due to the standardized testing pressure placed on schools. Teachers and administrators are assessed by their student's standardized testing scores. So, schools’ budgets are rerouted into programs and studies that can improve these scores. This often leaves arts education on the backburner.
Yet, an arts education itself can help students improve their standardized testing scores. Data from The College Board shows that students who have taken four years of arts and music classes during their high school years score almost 100 points higher on the SAT than students who are not engaged in the arts. In addition to improving standardized test scores, the arts have also been shown to improve college graduation rates for low-income students. Those who are highly engaged in the arts are more than twice as likely to graduate than students without an arts education.
Young children also benefit from being exposed to the arts. According to research by Penn State Extension, “art activities develop brain capacity in early childhood. Art engages children’s senses in open-ended play and supports the development of cognitive, social-emotional and multisensory skills.” In addition to this, using tools such as paintbrushes, pencils, markers, and scissors can help to improve a child’s motor skills. Listening and communication skills are enhanced by playing an instrument at a young age. This introduction to music helps to connect and develop both hemispheres of the brain in children who practice a musical instrument for at least 30 minutes a week.
Dimithry Victor, Back of The Class, 2021. Acrylic, pen, paint markers on stretched canvas, 9" x 12"
Educators, nonprofit organizations, and foundations have long recognized the importance of an arts education. Americans for the Arts has a wealth of information on how the arts help students find their voices, learn problem-solving techniques, and find strategies for success in school, life, and work. Americans for the Arts also has resources on messaging and advocacy at the local, state, and national levels for parents, students, teachers, school boards, and more.
In “Art for Life’s Sake,” the Commission on the Arts recommended that the arts be included in core educational requirements. They also prioritized the importance of adequate funding in state and school district budgets. This would allow all students to develop a basic knowledge of the arts and provide an opportunity to discover and expand their creativity. Additionally, funding should support the recruitment of arts educators, especially those from a wide range of cultural backgrounds. The report also recognized the importance of leveraging collaboration and partnerships with diverse groups of arts organizations in local communities.
Individuals can also financially support organizations dedicated to advancing diversity in the arts. Brown Girls Do Ballet provides annual scholarships, a mentor network, and community programs to empower young, underrepresented girls interested in ballet.
The Sphinx Organization is focused on increasing the representation of Black and Latinx artists in classical music. I was honored to receive two full scholarships for Sphinx Performance Academy, an intensive chamber music program. Given my previous classical music experience, where I was often surrounded by people who did not look like me, it was inspiring to play alongside such talented brown and black classical musicians.
Our cultural identities are intertwined with the arts. From Nok terracottas to the Harlem Renaissance to the Black Arts Movement, we have defined our identity, advocacy, and history within the frame of art. The introduction to various art forms allows us to take in the world through other’s perspectives allowing us to see the rich and vibrant tapestry that is the human experience. Exposing children to the arts creates a lifelong curiosity and fascination with our cultural heritage. Arts education needs to be a part of every child’s educational journey.
Sources:
http://bkc-od-media.vmhost.psu.edu/documents/HO_Art_AnOpportunity.pdf
https://www.browngirlsdoballet.com/
https://www.amacad.org/sites/default/files/publication/downloads/2021-Art-for-Lifes-Sake.pdf
https://www.americansforthearts.org/
https://www.amacad.org/publication/case-for-arts-education/section/2