Why Art?
A teacher at my children’s school posed some questions to get parental thoughts about art education. I found the questions stimulating and they moved me to reflection. Here are my thoughts. Why is art an essential component of a child's education in America today? Art classes present a unique opportunity to explore learning in a forum that most children and parents will see as fun. Participating in school should be enjoyable and when art teachers demonstrate how, so called, “hard” principles of math, history’s horrors and complex social issues can be explored, communicated and understood through art, the entire curriculum becomes synergistic and supportive. Too many times we encounter the need to emphasize either science, or the humanities, or the arts. Art classes can play a key role in unifying all of these education disciplines; and all the while the kids are having fun and the adults are inspired by the insights the children continually display. How has your child ben