Why

We Need Art in Our Schools

Why We Need Art in Our Schools:

An Art Educators Defense of Art Programs
Chelsea DeLen
ARE6641
Jodi Kushins
April 19, 2016


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Why We Need Art in Our Schools



Defending Our Programs
Its commonplace for art educators to be asked to defend and justify art
programs in their schools. However, in the last year, after transitioning into a new
position, Ive been asked to justify my program to my colleagues, administration,
school board, parents, and even students. And Im confident that when Im
interviewing for new positions in the future, Ill be asked to explain why the arts
are necessary. While I know that my classroom offers a unique learning
experience that other classrooms cannot, I still struggle with definitive reasons to
help explain why art is necessary. It is paramount to understand and identify the
most important reasons to validate the arts in schools that are concerned more
with the cost of the arts rather than the vast benefits art offers our students.
Therefore, we must justify the arts as a fundamental way of learning that is
indispensable to student development.
When Ive been asked to justify my program and explain why my students
need the arts Im always a loss of what to say because the arts offer so many
valuable lessons that other subjects do not address. However, I am not alone.
Siegesmund (1998) says that art educations unique problem is that it has
enjoyed a vague sense of being valuable; however, precisely what that specific
value is, [has] continued to remain elusive (p.197). Art education differs from
other curricula in that art educators typically develop art curriculum individually at
individual schools. Therefore, each teacher has their own definition of what value
their students can find in the art classroom (Day, 1972). In my classroom I have
found that visual thinking, creative self-expression, and the development of an
innovative work force are the key benefits of art education for my students. The
research I conducted to explains why the arts are vital to our students and our
society are an attempt to stop ignoring negative attitudes outside of the
profession (Hicks, 2004, p.13) and instead confront them by giving a clear and
concise justification for having and growing an art program in schools.
Visual Thinking
The practice and development of visual thinking is perhaps the most easily
recognized benefit of having our students participate in visual art. Linda
Ackerman (1974) defines visual thinking as the ability to perceive, ponder, and


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see actual shape in our thoughts, and through associations (p.30). Ackerman
(1974) demonstrates visual thinking by explaining that children often learn to
count objects first before they learn to recognize and manipulate numbers. This
experience of translating a visual symbol into a verbal language is the basic
concept of visual thinking. And, as such, it is evident that we can observe visual
thinking as soon as children are able to communicate verbally (Heid, 2005).
While Ackermans (1974) definition is correct and meticulous, in my
classroom I would define visual thinking as the ability to visualize a variety of
outcomes, then implementing one outcome, and then making visual choices
during the creative process. In the art classroom we are able to see a visual
representation of all the visual conceptions and decisions that our students
make. This immediate record of student cognition is unique to the arts. We are
fortunate in our profession that we can quickly realize when students do not
understand or excel in their course work, and then adjust our teaching strategies
to benefit individual students.
Eisner (2002), in his analysis of what the arts can teach our students,
emphasizes that cognition cannot be limited by verbalization and written
language, but can also be demonstrated through visualization and aesthetic
decision making. Siegesmund (1998) echoes Eisner (2002) by relating inquiry
and judgment to an aesthetic education, therefore demonstrating cognitive
development. By asking our students to look at, analyze, and interpret visual
symbols and objects they thinking visually and solving visual problems. By
having our students practice visual thinking by visualizing outcomes, articulating
outcomes, and problem solving to achieve outcomes we are teaching them
highly applicable skill with real world applications.
Creative Self-Expression
When considering what the desired outcomes of an art education would
be, most people would desire the growth of creativity. Communities view artists
as creative, but creative at what? It can be argued that artists are innovative at
the manipulation of visual symbols for the purpose of communication. In our art
classrooms our students practice visual communication of their own


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perspectives, unique identities, and original ideas through manipulating visual
symbols and aesthetics. By allowing our students the opportunity for creative
self-expression we are giving our students an empowered voice and a chance to
build confidence in who they are as growing individuals. Students can be given
the opportunity to express who they were, are, and who they want to become by
thinking visually and utilizing aesthetics.
Gude (2010) argues that many students do not usually consider that the
arts can have some personal significance. If, however, our students surrender to
an internally generated creative self [they may find themselves] outside of the
comforting constraints of conformity (Gude, 2010, p.32) and potentially
developing unique outcomes that are dependent upon their unique identities. I,
like most teachers of students in their teenage years find that many students
seek to assimilate with their peers as much as possible. However, by
encouraging creative self-expression in our art classrooms we are encouraging
our students to be reflective, empathetic, and confident by learning to express
who they are as individuals.
Developing an Innovative Work Force
Perhaps the most effective means of advocating and justifying art
programs in schools is arguing that art education has benefits to preparing our
students to join the work force and benefit the economy. Ive already discussed
the important components of visual thinking and creative self-expression in the
arts, but how do our students apply these skills upon leaving our art programs?
Combined, visual thinking, and creative self expression encourages our
students to visualize original solutions to problems and implement them.
Freedman (2010) says that western cultures emphasize the idea of originality in
terms of moving forward production (p.13) and how can our students progress
society forward if they are unable to generate original thought? The arts provide
a strong foundation in generating and articulating original ideas and conceptions.
Today our students are engaged in an ever growing visual economy. With
billboards, advertisements, commercials, social media, and the internet
unrelentingly exposing our students to visual content, there is an ever growing


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demand for visual content creators. Freedman (2010) argues that national and
international organizations are just beginning to be aware of the importance that
arts education plays in supporting productive economies, (p.8) and she is
correct. Our students must be prepared to face an economy that desires visual
thinking and innovative visual ideas that can be utilized for consumption. With the
growth of original visual content, media, and ideas our economies grow to
encourage visual consumption. Therefore, it would be wise for schools to
encourage the growth of the arts to provide a stepping stone for a variety of
career paths that utilize the visual thinking and innovation that the arts
encourage.
Applying Justification and Facilitating Advocacy
Defining the purpose of our programs is only the beginning of our
responsibilities as art educators. By defining our intent, we are guiding curriculum
and determining the most valuable lessons we wish our students to depart with.
By considering the outcomes and affects of art education on our students we are
more prepared to justify, and sometimes even defend, our programs. We can say
that we are not mere teachers of art, but of visual thinking and creativity who are
preparing our student for jobs in a visual economy. We are teaching our students
to communicate, articulate, and be confident in their original ideas and
perspectives.
Explaining that we do not only teach color theory, design principles, and
drawing, to administration, parents, school boards, community organizations, and
our students can help us make the arts indispensable in schools. By concisely
supporting our programs we encourage the community to support the arts and
discover that the arts are a foundation for growth in an economy driven by visual
consumption.
As art educators we can find worth in our profession by defining what
makes art so important to us and to our students. We can then go forth into
board meetings, fundraisers, job interviews, and parent-teacher conferences with
the confidence of knowing that the arts provide a unique curriculum designed to
help our students succeed in our progressing society.


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References
Ackerman, L.. (1974). Visual Thinking and Associative Learning. Art
Education, 27(8), 3032. http://doi.org/10.2307/3191901
Day, M.. (1972). Rationales for Art Education: Thinking through and Telling
Why. Art Education, 25(2), 1720. http://doi.org/10.2307/3191727
Eisner, E. W. (2002). The arts and the creation of mind. New Haven: Yale
University Press.
Freeman, K.. (2010). Rethinking Creativity: A Definition to Support Contemporary
Practice. Art Education, 63(2), 815. Retrieved from
http://www.jstor.org/stable/20694819
Gude, O.. (2010). Playing, Creativity, Possibility. Art Education, 63(2), 3137.
Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/20694822
Heid, K.. (2005). Aesthetic Development: "A Cognitive Experience". Art
Education, 58(5), 4853. http://doi.org/10.2307/27696101
Hicks, J. M.. (2004). It's an Attitude. Art Education, 57(3), 1317. Retrieved from
http://www.jstor.org/stable/3194089
Siegesmund, R. (1998). Why Do We Teach Art Today? Conceptions of Art
Education and Their Justification. Studies in Art Education, 39(3), 197
214. http://doi.org/10.2307/1320364