Room for Art

The time has come for schools to commit to the arts. School curricula have been lacking in this area for far too long. The time has come for students to be taught the arts in school. Experts have determined that teaching and involving the students in the arts is a great boost to students’ self-esteem and self-image. Participation in the arts has proven to be great therapy for at-risk students.

The arts involve so many different areas. Art can be creating pottery, singing, playing an instrument, sculpting, painting a picture, tap dancing, ballet dancing, jazz dancing, poetry reading, doing mime, or acting and drama. Art is much more than just drawing a picture with crayons. Schools are missing great opportunities to reach their students by ignoring the arts. Some claim that schools can’t afford to offer the arts in school. It seems apparent that schools can’t afford not to teach the arts.

There are many different ways to incorporate the arts in the schools. There are many schools that participate in artist-in-residence programs. These programs allow professional artists to come in and share their talents and skills with the students. Artists charge nominal fees, and both the artist and the students benefit. Inviting a variety of artists allows for a variety of experiences. When finished learning about a specific art, students can share what they have learned in a performance or an exhibit.