Why Teach Art in School?
In a world fascinated by technology, the arts keep us human. Painting, poetry, music—these help to deepen our lives; they connect us with people both near and far, cultures familiar and forgotten.
However, for the student, the greatest value of the arts lies not in their study but in their production. Every art form requires of its creator reflection on the world around him and a considered, articulate response. Making art puts to the test the depth of one’s understanding and the clarity of one’s speech. It is not easy work.
Visual art is particularly helpful in this regard for the speed with which it teaches. The plastic nature of its materials allows for a fluid cycle of creation, critique, and revision. Students are quickly drawn into that alternation of subjective and objective thought that is the creative process.
Far from being merely an expressive outlet, making art brings to life knowledge taught elsewhere in the school. Geometry guides the construction of its shapes and proportions; chemistry stands behind each pigment and paint; physics governs its structures and psychology our perception of color. More generally, making art teaches the student how to see, and see objectively. It forces him to plan and sequence, to work from the whole to the part. Making art also builds a sensitivity to materials and processes, for what is possible and what not. Art-making, because it is concrete, is a surprisingly pedagogical endeavor.
Unlike the stem subjects, art is an ill-defined domain; the problems that it seeks to solve are not clear and its solutions could be many. But such is life, and art-making can prepare students for its ambiguities. Through their development of content, exploration of form, and the presentation of their work, students grow in insight, eloquence, and confidence—all qualities essential for success in life.
In a world fascinated by technology, the arts keep us human. Painting, poetry, music—these help to deepen our lives; they connect us with people both near and far, cultures familiar and forgotten.
However, for the student, the greatest value of the arts lies not in their study but in their production. Every art form requires of its creator reflection on the world around him and a considered, articulate response. Making art puts to the test the depth of one’s understanding and the clarity of one’s speech. It is not easy work.
Visual art is particularly helpful in this regard for the speed with which it teaches. The plastic nature of its materials allows for a fluid cycle of creation, critique, and revision. Students are quickly drawn into that alternation of subjective and objective thought that is the creative process.
Far from being merely an expressive outlet, making art brings to life knowledge taught elsewhere in the school. Geometry guides the construction of its shapes and proportions; chemistry stands behind each pigment and paint; physics governs its structures and psychology our perception of color. More generally, making art teaches the student how to see, and see objectively. It forces him to plan and sequence, to work from the whole to the part. Making art also builds a sensitivity to materials and processes, for what is possible and what not. Art-making, because it is concrete, is a surprisingly pedagogical endeavor.
Unlike the stem subjects, art is an ill-defined domain; the problems that it seeks to solve are not clear and its solutions could be many. But such is life, and art-making can prepare students for its ambiguities. Through their development of content, exploration of form, and the presentation of their work, students grow in insight, eloquence, and confidence—all qualities essential for success in life.