By: Keirra Gordon
A fine arts education is composed of many parts. The fine arts include but are not limited to theater, painting, drawing, and music. Arts in education is essential. Students should be required to take art/humanities courses in private and public schools.
Without art, human development would not have been as developed as it is today. Studies have proven cognitive and behavioral outcomes are relevant in forming social and economic conditions in individuals. The presence of arts in education allows students to be more comprehensive. This heightens how productive and creative they are, as well as their overall quality of life. Human development is applicable when discussing arts in education, as it has allowed students to perform better in and out of the class room, stay out of trouble and have higher chances of being physically and emotionally healthy.
Students draw amongst peers expressing their individual creativity.
Art has shown itself to be informative, influences opinions, encourages values. Sculptures, paintings, literature, films and other forms of art, remind viewers of what society once was. Art endows us with a sense of history, which can make a person feel as if they were in specific a place at that time. Although artists create art to express themselves, others are still able to connect with and relate to it emotionally. For instance, visiting a museum may allow a person to have a different connection with pictures previously seen online.
Every class implemented in the college course schedule is pertinent, classes in the arts juxtapose the core classes and allow students to be more well-rounded, since they are required to learn more than what they are interested in. These classes allow students access to basic knowledge that is essential in the real world.
Having a variety of subjects to pursue compels people to try new things. The point of a well-rounded education is to learn new things that are outside your comfort zone. Having experience in other subjects allows students to ensure their selected major is what they genuinely want to do.
Strictly focusing on one subject for four years would restrict the minds of students. Many students find fine arts classes irrelevant, because it has nothing to do with their majors. At some point in life, the knowledge obtained can proves itself useful. For example, a student may have financial hardships and discover they are good at improvisation. This art could become a side job for extra money. Ruling out classes before determining if you are truly interested in them is never a good idea. For example, actor Kendrick Kang-Joh Jeong is best known for his role in The Hangover. Before acting, he became a licensed physician in California but gave up his medical career to become an actor. Jeong started improv as a medical student, regularly performing at open mic nights, leading to television and movie appearances.
Students use their artistic ability to express emotions.
Strictly focusing on one subject can be stressful. Fine arts classes provide students with a creative outlet and become a great distraction from hard, major-related courses. Art courses also allowed the opportunity to relax and refocus their minds, which they do not typically do in classes with a heavier workload.
Based on data collected from the Katy Independent School District’s Fine Arts Department, the figures show the benefits of including fine arts courses with traditional classes. Students will enjoy not being forced to learn facts all day and exploring their creativity. Additionally, peers also interact more because of the support from others, which will increase their versatility. Arts have been proven to engage the brain, boost self-expression, problem-solving, and basic thinking skills. The inclusivity of fine arts in education should be mandatory for both public and private schools, as it allows everyone should be able to explore art with no limitations.
