It’s no secret that when the time comes for schools to reign in their budgets, arts and education departments are usually the first to take the hit.
Coming from a small town in Texas, I have seen firsthand how the arts are affected. As a member of the marching band, every week I got to perform on a shiny new field made for a football team that hadn’t won a single playoff game in years. More and more money was taken from the arts and poured into other programs, and those of us involved in the arts became bitter. We saw no reason for the football team to have 10 coaches, when our theater director didn’t even have an assistant. Again and again the arts lost more money. Art teachers lost their jobs. Art students were judged and humiliated.
I thought that when I came to college art would be more in the spotlight than it is. So much more can be done. The arts are so important, even for those who aren’t majoring in any artistic field. John Hopkins’ School of Education says that the arts “create a seamless connection between motivation, instruction, assessment, and practical application — leading to deep understanding.” This proves to be important in any field of study.
Art is not easily defined. It’s a universal language. It’s a way of conveying truth that differs from science. It’s freedom of expression. It’s a mirror of humanity and culture. Art is intertwined with everything, everywhere. Art facilitates individuality, but it brings people together and creates communities. To spend our lives not able to appreciate art because we have been encouraged to put it down is beyond unfortunate. As those responsible for inspiring and educating generations to come, it is our duty to facilitate the arts. We have to let everyone know that the arts are just as important as math and science. Art helps create a better understanding of the world, and as college students, we should be speaking up and putting an end to the unfair treatment of art.
If any school or institution at any level wants to create successful and well-rounded students, the answer is the arts. Not only does art make people more creative, it makes us better problem solvers. It teaches us perseverance and accountability. Whether you are a biology major, a business major or a theater major, art can have a beneficial impact on you. It’s time that universities and colleges recognize that.
Stop slashing the budget for arts. Stop putting art down. Stop teaching that art is second-class. Stop encouraging students to ignore art.
Start funding the arts with as much seriousness as the sciences. Start teaching students that art is important. Start teaching students to see art in everyday life. Start encouraging students to find art forms of their own. Encourage art.
