

In fact, researchers from the Johns Hopkins University School of Education, argue that instruction becomes more effective when educators integrate creative activities and make them central to academic development. But seeking to improve student performance in math and reading does not have to come at the expense of art education. students continue to score lower than many of their peers in Europe and Asia on standardized tests despite years of pressure on educators to close the achievement gap. Meanwhile, the Nation’s Report Card shows that U.S. Disparities were also tied to race, ethnicity, family income, and whether a school is located in a city, suburb, town, or rural area. As a result, there are major differences in access to art and music classes across the country.Ģ019 findings from the National Assessment of Educational Progress showed that eighth graders in the Northeast were much more likely to report being enrolled in a visual arts course than those in the South. Yet, participation in the visual and performing arts is often treated as merely supplemental to other aspects of learning.

public overwhelmingly agreed that the arts are one aspect of a well-rounded K-12 education. When surveyed by the nonprofit organization Americans for the Arts, members of the U.S.
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This work suggests that learning how to draw, paint, sing, or just appreciate the works made by others can help us become not just happier and healthier, but also better people. Drawing on data from the General Social Survey, researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Department of Public Administration linked participation as either an audience member or creator to higher levels of civic engagement and social tolerance. Entire societies may stand to gain from an investment in the arts. Instructors can build their careers on bringing those experiences to students in a variety of settings, like galleries, museums, or events organized by nonprofit and community organizations.Īppreciation for art also makes a significant difference in people’s lives on a macro level. Giving learners the time, space, and materials for creative expression can lower stress, improve memory, and make them feel more socially connected. When we’re exposed to remarkable artworks or have opportunities to create, we find that art is crucial to individual growth and development and can even impact our health.Ī literature review from Frontiers in Psychology outlined several studies linking aesthetic experiences with broad improvements in subjects’ emotional states that promote physical and psychological well-being.

We can become powerful advocates for the power of art and improved student outcomes by investigating the many benefits that come out of integrating more creativity into the school day and improving our classroom strategies.Īnyone who’s passionate about the arts recalls formative moments of experiencing a work of art pushing through a creative challenge. You may have to explain the importance of art education in a school’s curriculum and present the research to back up those claims.

The issue of art’s value becomes far more pressing when policymakers and administrators decide how to allocate time and funding for art education in schools.Īrt teachers must be ready to advocate for committing the necessary resources to prioritize the value of creativity in the classroom. How we answer this question can have much bigger consequences than whether you get to buy a piece of artwork from Banksy’s online store. That deceptively simple, four-word query confronts a topic that’s occupied some of the world’s greatest creators and philosophers since Plato. Customers who wished to be considered for the opportunity to make a single purchase first had to answer the question: “Why does art matter?” In October 2019, the British street artist known as Banksy opened an online store called Gross Domestic Product and issued a challenge: to make a purchase from the shop’s selection of items like a Banksy-branded aerosol paint can, a brick handbag, and a vest worn in concert by the rapper Stormzy.
