Art Education is one of the most valuable educations a student can have. Art is the baseline for creating a better school environment overall. Not only does it improve the students creativity, collaboration skills, and mental health, their skills shine through into all of their other academics. It has proven to strengthen literacy and writing by interpreting visuals, learning new vocabulary, and critical thinking. Art supports math with patterns, proportions and geometry. It supports science because artists look closely and observe. Even supporting history by looking at different cultures, architecture, and timelines. In a recent study performed by Houston Education Research Consortium, they increased students art education to see what the effects would be on the students. This study found, “that a substantial increase in arts educational experiences has remarkable impacts on students’ academic, social, and emotional outcomes. Relative to students assigned to the control group, treatment school students experienced a 3.6 percentage point reduction in disciplinary infractions, an improvement of 13 percent of a standard deviation in standardized writing scores, and an increase of 8 percent of a standard deviation in their compassion for others” (Kisida & Bowen, 2019). These findings provide strong evidence that arts educational experiences can produce significant positive impacts on academic and social development.

Aside from how art education helps build a well rounded student, it also affects students beyond the classroom and into their careers. The need for artists in the work industry are increasing rapidly. Perpich states, “The creative industries are America’s largest export with more than $60 billion annually in overseas sales. Ninety-seven percent of employers say creativity is of increasing importance but 85 percent of employers concerned with hiring creative people are unable to find the applicants they seek. More than 904,000 U.S. businesses are involved in the creation and distribution of art. Creativity-oriented jobs have gone from just over 10 percent of the economy to more than 30 percent” (Perpich). Art careers are becoming more and more necessary, and it is important to give students this education so they can be competitive after graduation.

When I was going through my education, art was a constant in my life. From first learning to draw at a kitchen table with my grandfather, the first life long friend I made in art class, navigating high school, moving away to college, to my first gallery show. Art was my escape, passion, warmth, and grit. The pencil smudges, clay-covered hands, and brushstrokes all led me here. Now I have the opportunity to teach others the skills that once carried me. I am so grateful for what art has given me, and I am even more enthusiastic for what it will do for others.

References

Kisida, B., & Bowen, D. H. (2019, February 12). New evidence of the benefits of arts education. Brookings. https://www.brookings.edu/articles/new-evidence-of-the-benefits-of-arts-education/

Why arts education is important - Perpich. (2021, September 8). Perpich. https://perpich.mn.gov/about-the-center/why-arts-education-is-important/