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THE arts should not be isolated and offered to only a select few. The notions that the arts are unnecessary or are a less important academic pursuit than other subjects do not take in account how young brains develop and how important the arts are to a student’s educational and personal development.
The arts are multidisciplinary and can function both as a serious subject with measurable benefits and as a support for other educational interests. When the arts are not sufficiently funded or programs in schools are cut so funding can be allocated to other areas, a potential gap occurs in the important educational outcomes desired by learning institutions and parents.
The social and emotional benefits of the arts are clear, if not easily quantifiable, and there is strong evidence of its impact on the lives of students. For many, the arts are a pathway to self-discovery. They help develop meaning and understanding, and they provide a feeling of place and purpose in this world through freedom of self-expression. The arts can be a vehicle for fostering and establishing relationships as well. Through the sharing and appreciation of the arts we can connect communities and gain a more interconnected view of the world.
Academically, the arts facilitate skills in communication, problem solving, and independent and divergent thinking. In the visual arts, I have seen students formulate a higher level of conceptual understanding after only a few classes of research and investigations into artworks or a particular artists’ practice. A student doesn’t look at a painting for answers, they look at it for questions. Then they want to go out and find the answers.
The arts are well-known for fostering creativity and encouraging students to “think outside the box.” But, there are other skills not often highlighted including: confidence and perseverance as they challenge themselves to develop new skills and to perform or exhibit their work to an audience, focus and concentration as they practice in order to create or perform successfully, and collaboration.
The arts present us with different perspectives, they transform our everyday experiences, and they make us question what we think we already know. These might seem like limitations in the academic sense, but the educational and personal benefits provide limitless possibilities.
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