Senior Graduation Project Abstract

by Shelby Kustak
A 2009 study showed that in certain schools, the highest graduation rates also have the
highest access to art education. Despite this, a 2008 study showed only 47% of students even
having access to the visual arts. The point of this Senior Graduation Project is to ask why trite
facts, such as the ones just stated in this abstract, are necessary for people to care about the
importance of art education. Many people agree that art education is important, so why do
schools often times not reflect the obvious fact that students can only gain from art in their
education? And why are the arts required to improve other areas of education in order to
seriously be considered as beneficial?
This Senior Graduation Project was filled with the intent to teach others that art education
is important because the arts are important. There is a popular stigma against art in many aspects
of life, people spreading the idea that art shouldnt be pursued as a career because it doesnt
make a difference. Or that it doesnt make money. This is damaging to young art students while
also being socially supported by the increasing number of schools decreasing art classes. My
own middle school became a STEM school, advancing classes for the science, technology,
engineering and math while simultaneously stagnating any art education. The reason I know this
is because I liked the idea of my mentor being from the same school I first chose to take an art
class. Unfortunately, that's when I learned that there were no more art teachers at said school, as
there were no more art classes.
There is a clear cause and effect in our society when it comes to those pursuing art
careers. On Forbes list of Ten Worst College Majors, four were based in the arts. Students are
told that art has no value by people and staples in their community, be it their parents, school,
etc. These student who could become art teachers in the local elementary school don't try
because hundreds never encourage it in the first place. Time compiled a list of the highest and
lowest earning college degrees. Both Studio Art and Early Childhood Education make an
appearance on the lower end. But why should it matter?
In 2000, researchers Ellen Winner and Lois Hetland found that art does not improve
students overall academic performance. Many disagreed, but in 2007, the same researchers
published a new study aiming to change the conversation; even if art doesn't improve math, it
shouldn't matter. If a student who takes a visual arts class doesn't do better in their biology class,
that doesn't mean that there should be no more art classes. It doesn't mean students shouldn't be
artists. It doesn't mean there shouldn't be art teachers. It means, as Winner and Hetland say, the
arts need to be valued for their own intrinsic reasons. Regardless of whether or not the arts do in
fact improve graduation rates or other class performance, it doesnt matter. The arts are still
important and deserve to be appreciated and supported separate from their possible polish on
other classes.