Kurt Morrison

Art 3700

Maele Shakespear

Why Teach Art?

The other day in class, my instructor asked us why we should have art education in the classroom.  There were multiple answers by my fellow classmates and then I chose to offer my thoughts.  I explained how I felt teaching art as part of an overall school curriculum would only help one become more of a creative thinker as they encounter problem solving in their more rigid classes such as math, English or science.  I also mentioned how this creative thinking could translate into their future careers in business or elsewhere.  I was initially satisfied with my answer but after further research from multiple references, I now feel that limiting the benefits of art education to simply fostering creativity is too narrow of a view. 

Allow me to begin the support of my introductory statement by referring to the Art 3700 textbook, Art Emphasis Ninth Edition.  I found a comment which caused me to quickly broaden my view of what art education can bring to the individual as well as the community and beyond.  It states, “As our nation’s culture becomes more and more media-based, citizens capable of responding intelligently to the visual culture are increasingly important.  Art education serves to develop such skills, broadening understanding and enhancing acceptance of fellow human beings.”  I found this statement to be very pertinent to the issue of cultural tolerance so prevalent in the discussions of today.  Through art education, school children are exposed to art from a variety of cultures and as a result, learning cultural awareness, diversity and tolerance on a much greater scale.

Another benefit of being in a classroom where art is being taught is that students are able and even encouraged to work together and learn from each other while still expressing individuality, whereas it is generally prohibited in most other subjects.  This principle is explained further in the article, “The Arts and The Creation of Mind” by Elliot Eisner, where he states concerning the art classroom, “In this setting, classroom norms encourage cooperation, autonomy, and community. Students can look at the work of their peers and at the same time become increasingly independent.”  I recently heard one the world’s most successful CEO’s, who specialized in turning around companies, say that one of the first requirements he has for his employees is that they work in groups, fostering a spirit of teamwork.  Art education could help prepare us for such creative and unique working environments.

Over the past number of years, funding for the arts has been an issue many schools have had to deal with.  The more I dive into my major of elementary education the more I feel that funding needs to be directed in a greater way to the educating of our children.  If there are budget woes in our local cities or states let us find other areas to cut before we deprive our children of a proper and more importantly well-rounded education.  The book, Champions of Change, The Impact of The Arts on Learning, had this very thought of funding in mind as it sought to reveal studies displaying evidence of the need for art education especially among the underprivileged students.  Quoting from the Secretary of Education at the time, Richard Riley, who provides a letter at the forefront of the book, “The arts teach young people how to learn by giving them the first step: the desire to learn.”  Art, perhaps more than any other subject, gets students excited to be in the classroom and therefore excited to come to school.

Many of us appreciate art for the way that it improves our quality of life.  Life without art is like watching television in black and white versus color.  Why would we ever want to go back to black and white.  The question should also be asked to our schools.  Why would we ever want to go back to a time where art does not exist in the classroom.  From the website www.helium.com, Summer Tyme states in an article entitled, “Why Teach Art?”  “Because we all need art, we all need artists to fill out lives with beauty of mind and heart.”  Where will these artists come from if not fostered in a daily school environment.  Sure, artists would still emerge, but how much more would our society be edified if all young children have the chance to explore their artistic talents.

The YouTube video, The Importance of Art, revealed a wonderful quote by Reverend Edward M. Catich.  He states, “Art is not freedom from discipline, but disciplined freedom.”   For those who feel art class is simply an undisciplined waste of good school time, let them rather think of it as disciplined freedom in a safe and relatively structured environment.  Another YouTube video entitled, Art Education: Let Them Be Heard, showcases the thoughts and feelings of numerous high school kids on what art class means to them.  The overall theme was simply that without the ability to express themselves in art class, their desire to perform scholastically in any area would be in jeopardy.  This supports the earlier quote by Richard Riley about art giving students the first step to learning: “the desire to learn.”

So back to my original analysis of why art education is important.  I still feel that art promotes creativity unlike any other class, but why resort to such an obvious answer, an answer that really does not lend any additional leverage to the case as to why we need art education.  In just this short time of research I was able to find numerous and I would argue even more powerful reasons to keep art in the schools.  Let’s hope our local school boards know how to Google the question, Why Teach Art?

Kurt Morrison

Art 3700

Shakespear

What is Art?

Attempting to answer this question has proven to be more complicated than I first thought it might be.  The numerous references given, as well as discovering my own, have helped to guide me to a somewhat satisfactory answer.  I say somewhat satisfactory for the simple reason that my answer is just that, my answer, and the conclusion that another would come up with may be different and possibly even lead me to another revision of my belief of what art is.

As I first started to explore this question I wanted to refer to a more rigid definition of art.  I therefore went straight to the dictionary online and chose what I considered to be a fairly straightforward definition.  “dictionary.reference.com” stated the definition of art as, “The quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance.”  This initially seemed to me a great final answer.  After all, as one initially ponders this question it seems pretty simple that art is something produced and is found aesthetically pleasing by those who view it.  Well, after more research I realized it wasn’t quite so simple.

In the first reading, “Art and Artworks”, a great example is given of running into a well known artist while strolling along your local beach.  You recognize the artist and ask if he would supply a piece of art for your local art museum.  He thinks for a moment and reaches down and hands you a piece of driftwood and says, “Take this.  Call it Driftwood.”  To me, a piece of driftwood could be aesthetically pleasing but to another it could seem like a plain old piece of wood.  The question is then asked if you would display this in your museum.  I might decide to question the artist as to his reasoning behind choosing the driftwood to judge whether or not he was serious, and if he was I would display it under his name and let viewers contemplate the display for themselves.  This example illustrates quite well the idea that art can be anything around us. 

Leo Tolstoy in his essay, “What Is Art?” shares an even deeper view of art.  He states, “In order to correctly define art, it is necessary, first of all, to cease to consider it as a means to pleasure and to consider it as one of the condition of human life.  Viewing it in this way we cannot fail to observe that art is one of the means of intercourse between man and man.”  Art, from what we just learned, is a means of communication between men and who are we to judge whether the way one communicates with another is valid or not.  A very literal example of this is taken from the YouTube video, “What is Art?”  A comment made after one watched the video wondered why the written language was not also pointed out as art.  The author in response agreed with the comment.  I also agree that the written language could easily be considered a beautiful art form as well as a literal way of communicating with your fellow men, therefore aligning somewhat with Tolstoy’s view. 

A great example of how we judge art is given in the blog “artthatselementary.blogspot.com”.  Several examples of art is displayed and asked whether it qualifies as art.  At first thought I might judge some of it as insignificant but as I read about how it was produced, some by an animal or a baby, and one produced simply by erasing the existing artwork of another abstract artist, I came to view it differently, and put into context it, it becomes artistic to me.  I should mention that I am still undecided about the urinal.

While again exploring references of my own I came upon an article entitled, “What is Art…?  …What is an Artist?”  Supplied by Sweet Briar College Department of Art History.  It shares the idea that art is viewed differently through the ages.  For example, hundreds of years ago a woman was making some pottery for use by her family.  She was not necessarily an artist and was not producing what she thought to be art.  The pottery is discovered in present day and displayed quite prominently in a museum as a beautiful piece of art.  Subsequently, the question of what art is can be relative to a particular time period.  Further examining the idea of art being relative, has to do with possibly the most important factor for us as individuals.  Is the art displayed pleasing to us?  From the website, “Philosophytalk.org”, they state, “Alexandar Nehamas of Princeton University thinks that all art is beauty although all art may not be pretty.  Beauty, he says, involves whether you like it.”

In conclusion, to the question of where do we draw the line between what is art and what is not, I say that no line should be drawn.  Let each individual, as he encounters or perhaps produces art, decide for themselves if they are experiencing art.  The YouTube video, “What is Art” mentioned, “art is the expression of creativity or imagination or both.”  Art truly is personal and whether or not a single individual draws that line for themselves, let us not draw a line for others who may not view art exactly as we do.