Why Fine Arts Education is Important

Why+Fine+Arts+Education+is+Important

Charlotte Polak

Art is a great way for people to creatively express themselves. It can take many different forms, such as drawing, dancing, or playing an instrument, and is also subjective, so anyone can be good at it. I interviewed four West High teachers in the arts department to get their opinion on why fine arts education is important.

Mr. Smith has been a teacher at West for 16 years. He works with oil paint, graphite, and pudding—yes, pudding. He became an art teacher as art is a passion of his and he enjoys teaching others. “It was the only career I could find where I could explore my passion for washing hundreds of student grade paint brushes every day—kidding. Drawing has always been a passion of mine since I first could spread chocolate pudding around on a white plate. I found that I liked teaching people how to do things. I liked performing for and interacting with others. There isn’t a better feeling than watching a student show friends artwork they are proud of,” Mr. Smith says.

Mrs. Delfin has been a teacher at West for 12 years. She works with oil paint, wood carving, clay, and even silver. Starting as a fine art painter, Mrs. Delfin learned how to use other mediums through various jobs. After working with large figure fabrication, she discovered silversmithing—her current position at West. After receiving her art degree, she decided to pursue an art teaching degree.

Mrs. Hutchings has been a teacher at West for 11 years. She teaches Theater Foundations l-lV, Stage Crew, Play and Musical Productions, and IB Theater. She has loved acting and being in front of an audience since the age of two. From this love she attended theatrical performances to get to the place she is now. She wishes to share this passion with others, which is why she became a teacher. “​I chose to be a teacher because I wanted to share my love for theatre with others and hopefully give them an appreciation, if not a love, for the art.”

Finally, Mr. Blodgett has been a teacher at West for 20 years. He teaches band, orchestra, jazz, percussion, guitar, and stage crew. Mr. Blodgett loves the idea of taking small steps to create something large and impressive. He says that his high school music teacher influenced his love for performing: “My high school music teacher was a very influential person in my life. He taught me so much and gave me so many opportunities. I feel like I work every day to repay what he did for me.”

Now, is fine arts education important? Each of the teachers I’ve interviewed says that it is. This education is a way to express oneself and see the world in a different light. “Students learn to communicate their feelings and ideas through visual means. It also makes students appreciate the world around them since they become sensitized to color, line, shape and form,” says Mr. Smith.

Art is good for the brain, too. Mrs. Delfin says, “It is a good balance for the brain and provides a way to explore ideas. Art is what makes us human and the skills learned in an art classroom translate to better fulfillment in life […]” According to neurobiologist Semir Zeki, experiencing any sort of beauty, visual or musical, literally impacts the decision-making areas of our brain. Art historian Gregory Minissale also explains that people can view conceptual art as a puzzle. Art is like working through mathematical proof. He states, “There are many works of art that use puns and word games to present the viewer with visual paradoxes. One of the earliest examples is Magritte’s Treachery of Images (Ceci n ‘est pas une pipe, 1928-1929), which, according to Zeki, goes against everything the brain has seen, learnt and stored in its memory.’”

Art can also lower stress, promote psychological and physical health, and create stronger relationships, Ms. Hutchings states. According to Harvard Health, “studies have shown that expressing themselves through art can help people with depression, anxiety, or cancer, too. And doing so has been linked to improved memory, reasoning, and resilience in healthy older people.” Art therapy is used to treat psychological disorders as it is a technique rooted in the idea that creative expression can cause healing and overall better mental health.

Mr. Blodgett brings up some important points about the importance of fine arts education, “There is so much to a person, there is so much to being human. I feel like the arts helps us stay connected to our humanity and our shared culture. […] You learn about patience and hard work on a long term project.” Another point is that you can use your skills from an art class in your career. Art can be incorporated in any job presented to you. There are so many careers that could benefit from components of fine arts education.

At West High, each student is required to take 1.5 fine art credits in order to graduate. I asked these teachers if they agree with this requirement. Each of them supports it. Both Mr. Smith and Mrs. Hutchings said that the arts give students confidence and something to be proud of. “The arts are a place where people can feel included, and they create a great sense of community,” says Mrs. Hutchings. Mr. Blodgett believes that 1.5 credits are not enough. Instead, he believes two or even three credits would be more sufficient.

The best way to become involved in art classes at West is to sign up. You can talk to teachers and students who are involved with these programs. It is best to sign up early as art classes fill up quickly. Start in an intro class, but if a student has prior experience or is strongly motivated, you can submit a portfolio to possibly join an upper level course. You can join musical classes, theater, choir, dance, humanities, visual arts, and more. West has smaller programs which leads to the opportunity of having one on one connections. The teachers are very talented and dedicated to their craft and their students. If you want to get in contact with these teachers directly, these are their emails: Mr. Smith ([email protected]), Mrs. Delfin ([email protected]), Mrs. Hutchings ([email protected]), Mr. Blodgett ([email protected]).

Based on these conclusions, fine arts education can be seen as important. Skills learned from these classes can be incorporated in your career, health, hobbies, and so much more. Art is so versatile that you can use it everywhere. It can change your mindset, altering the way you see others and the world. It can create a great sense of community and belonging with those around you. Fine arts education is an important subject and should be taught in schools.