Public Art On College Campuses

1. The culture of art students is diverse and always changing. Once, it was an exclusive club reserved for those who could afford to toil away in expensive private art schools in Europe. Now, it is accessible to almost everyone attending college.

Sections One: Issue: Should the federal government be responsible for funding art programs (including art supplies/ tools, service training/staff, etc.) in public education establishments, or should those funds be made available by donation from private organizations or from other forms of sponsorship?

As art is a dynamic expression of ones creativity, art can be expressed and viewed everywhere and are not confined to art galleries.

Education is important as we develop a society of lifelong learners, but budget cuts for schools should not be at the expense of art programs. All students have unique learning styles and ways they best absorb information. To compromise that process is destructive to the success of their overall learning experience. “The Sanctuary of School” makes the reader aware of the many individuals who go through the public-school system. Barry’s essay advocates the need for funding of art programs and the supportive, creative outlets they

To begin with, education and engagement in fine art programs are an essential part within the school curriculum because subjects such as mathematics, science, and language arts all require cognitive and creative capacities which are enhanced with the process of learning art. For instance, in the article, Critical Evidence: How the Arts Benefits Student Achievement, it states that “researchers

Art programs in schools across the nation are in danger of being diminished due to budget cuts and lack of funding. Due to budget cuts, “... schools have been relying more on private funds and patrons of the arts to provide creative outlets for students” (Hambek). Because art is deemed as less important than other core classes, budget cuts that have been put into place almost automatically go straight to cutting funds for art

enrich and provide substantial intellectual exploration into our college curricula” (George Washington Carver). Who doesn’t love art? Every day you wake up and experience some sort of artwork; whether it’s a sculpture or just seeing something made so wonderful. Walking across the magnificent

According to US News, eighty percent of U.S. school districts funds, including Pinal County, have been cut. The first programs to get effected is art. Even though it is difficult to invest money into the art program it is greatly beneficial. If our community was more aware of all the positive outcomes of art programs Pinal County could stand out from other surrounding communities. People aren’t aware of the many benefits for art programs. The two major benefits for Pinal County is it improves education and the community business. For education art makes students want to learn and be more creative, improves academic performance, makes students come and stay in school, students learn good morals, help students learn many skills, helps with math, art develops the whole brain, and prepares students for the future. Art helps the Pinal County community by building the community, helping out local business, increases tourism, making the community stronger, it has a social impact, and it strengthens the economy.

“Students who study art are 4 times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement and 3 times more likely to be awarded for school attendance” ("11 Facts about Arts in Education"). Music and art are clearly not two subjects that schools today can afford to cut off funding for based on this evidence. Music and art programs are responsible for increasing school attendance, which can lead to being one of the most important things in a student’s academic success in school. Students have to attend school and be present in order to attain the information from their classes and teachers if they wish to succeed. Better attendance means more students are in class, which means more students are getting the information they need to excel from their teachers, which ultimately means better grades and test scores for schools. As of today, arts are defined as core subjects in only twenty-six states in America (Mandel). If only twenty-six states are treating art education as a core subject, that means that twenty-four states are currently neglecting art programs and not considering them important to their student’s education. If more states are educated on the importance of art programs for young students, and the arts are defined as core subjects nationally, then there will be a

On September 18,2017 I visited the University Galleries located at Texas State University had an amazing piece of art on display called The Last Supper: 700 Plates Illustrating Final Meals of U.S. Death Row Inmates created by Julie Green. Once entering the exhibit the viewers’ attention focuses on the deep black letters painted onto the wall, revealing the statistics of the death penalty in the United States. Moving throughout the room the inmates last meals were painted onto ceramic plates varying in size and style. Julie Green displayed the ceramic plates in a thick horizontal line on all four walls of the exhibit giving the viewers’ an understanding for each meal. Specifically on plate 66 the artist caught my attention with the color, texture, and lines illustrated throughout the ceramic plate. The plate was from an inmate in California who requested white meat chicken from Kentucky Fried Chicken, a buffalo steak, sugar-free pecan pie, sugar-free black walnut ice cream, Indian pan-fried bread,

When used well, the arts are the cement that brings all the disparate curricular areas together. In the best schools, this is often the case. The arts are valued for their interdisciplinary potential. The result is a more cohesive curriculum in which students explore relationships across disciplines. . . . the arts in conjunction with other aspects of the curriculum afford students more complete and compelling conceptions. (p. 7)

When most people think about art, the first thing to come to mind would usually be paintings that are hung up in a museum. Unless you really understand the value of art you may not believe me when I say the value of art is essential to the well being of free individuals. This idea can be supported by Bell Hooks story named “ Art On My Mind”.

All over the world, art is used to represent many things, especially the artist's imagination

Art education has been proven to help with “cognitive ability, critical thinking, and verbal skills” as well as “motivation, concentration, confidence, and teamwork” (Smith). Having the ability and patience to sit down and paint a masterpiece or work through a song on the piano requires high focus and dedication. Students willing to do this will in turn have stronger skills to focus and be dedicated in other subjects. The mixture of all these abilities gained from participation in art programs lead to higher test scores and overall better performance in school. Still, these are only a few of the assets provided by art education.

Another possibly positive outcome of art in the public could be the affect that it may have on the younger generations. If children are being raised in a community where they can see art on a daily basis then I believe it will have a positive effect on their lives by allowing them to learn how to appreciate art and what it has to offer. Art being in the public is also a way to grant people, who do not have enough money to enjoy the luxury of going to a gallery, the pleasure of seeing something aesthetically appealing on a regular basis. It also makes a town more interesting to visit; no one wants to visit a town with not much excitement. I once went to an art festival in Baltimore, Maryland, where they had green marbles ground up and put into the black top roads. This sight alone made my heart race and made this town more exciting. For towns that may have tourism it could be a way to attract to coming there or maybe even staying.