The pleasure of creating art in public schools is an experience which no students should be denied. Art is an escape from the weariness of constant STEM ideas over the course of a school year. The threat of eliminating creative art in schools across the country is a serious issue that cannot be ignored.
All through school, art was one of my favorite classes. I got a chance to be my creative self. The ideas that I cannot express in world, I expressed in images, drawings, and colors. The art class was a relief from math and science classes that took a lot of mental energy, causing burnout.
The absence of art classes goes a long way in taking away the creative fun in schools. Students need time to be creative and use their imagination to create projects that reflect their comprehension of what life is all about. Art allows them to create their own personal view of the world.
Art classes allow students to create a variety of interesting things: including,
- Special projects
- Objects such as clay sculptures
- Colorful Pictures
Students get to work with a variety of tools that give them a chance to design interesting and sometimes astonishing works of art. I have known students who were so talented that their art became the pride of the entire school.
Creating: Expression of Artful Self
The art that students create tell teachers a lot about the student’s attitude or perspective toward life. Student art can represent several ideas, including:
- Love
- Freedom
- Power
- Self-Preservation
- Beauty
- Joy
- Fear
Wise teachers can use what students to express in art to understand what thoughts students are entertaining in their lives now. For example, if students are happy with their lives, then their art may reflect this. The characters or objects on paper will indicate happy feelings, especially with younger students.
However, students who are having difficulty with life, either at home or at school, may create art that indicates that their lives are not going well. For example, students who may be going their scary homelife problems, may draw pictures, objects, or people who represent dangers.
Art as an Instrument of Schoolwide Inspiration
If you are a parent or teacher, you will not forget those days in which you were inspired by the art posted in the hallways and on the doors in your child’s school. Their creative, colorful work released inspiration throughout the school.
Parents often compliment their student’s teacher on beautiful appearance of the school when walking through the hallways.
Art also builds confidence in students. As creative pictures or projects gets tons of compliments from both staff, students, and parents, a child feels good about their ability to express themselves in ways to earn pleasurable feedback.
Obstacles to Keeping Art Alive in School
What is most threatening to keeping art in public schools across America is the lack of school funding to continue the programs. Unfortunately, state, and natural governments do not consider education that important to provide the necessary monetary resources to keep programs outside of the STEM agenda going strong.
This ignorance of the value of art in school must be continually challenged. The issue must be brought up time and time again before legislatures until they understand the seriousness of the issue.
Voting for candidates who value education is also a must for educators who do not want to see significant programs such as art and sports cut from school budgets.
Conclusion
Until government funding becomes the ongoing norm, school districts across the nation must continually appeal to provide donors to keep art programs alive.
The pleasure of creating art in public schools should never be taken away. Art gives creative flavor to schools across the nation. Without art, some of our must talented and creative artist will lose the platform that deserve.
