Do most art education programs within
elementary, middle school, and high school classes teach students about the
uses of art in the world? In most cases, or at least in my own personal
experience, art teachers are so focused on artistic skills and creativity, or
the art project, which is of course a vital part of art education, but they
forget to teach students how they can apply these skills in the everyday world.
In most
classrooms, not just art, but within English, math, and science the teachers
are so focused on the required curriculum, “the projects” behind the lessons, that
they often forget to express to students why this information is important, how
can this vital information be applied outside of school? Learning how to apply
this knowledge becomes increasingly important within high school. Students begin
to think about career choices, especially when they enter into junior year and
their college applications begin. For
many students, choosing a career path is one of the most difficult decisions
they will ever make, that choice determines the rest of their lives. A student
might love math or English, but due to a lack of information that student may
be unable to see what kind of possibilities lie within that subject.
Art,
being an elective within schools, should be a subject where teachers express
the fact that the skills being taught can be translated over and used within
various career choices. For instance creativity is a useful trait to have
within many professions. Many careers involve an artistic background;
architecture, graphic design, multimedia artists and animators, interior design,
curators, and museum technicians. However, lots of students who are skilled in
the arts do not take their skills seriously, feeling that there are no serious
career options within that subject.
Many
students do not see art as a career choice, because few teachers express the
possibilities behind art. I know this because I always loved art, but never saw
it as a potential career option because within my school it was merely seen as
an elective. Going into college I felt as though choosing a path within the
arts would be an ignorant decision, due to the fact that I did not know of any
suitable career choices within that field. I felt as though all livelihoods
within the arts would leave me out of a job and out of money. Most people view
art as a hobby, not as an occupation. I wish that my art teacher would have
expressed to me the possibilities that exist within the arts.
Luckily
when I entered college my eyes opened up to the world of the arts, and I was
able to gain enough courage to follow my heart and apply for the school of arts
and architecture, within Penn State. I now want to major in art education in
order to show my students that art is not simply an elective; it also has the
potential of being a legitimate career path.
References:
Fortune, T. (2009). Exploring Careers in Art. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iw5RKV7TfBE
Jess, I think you bring up a great point when you talk about art not being seen in schools as a viable career option. There are some cases where schools really promote the arts but sadly, in most cases the arts are seen as an elective like you say. I also agree that teachers need to explain to their students the applicability of the arts to things outside of just the art world. Art and the skills someone acquires from producing works can benefit someone in a variety of professional areas that extend further than careers directly associated with art however; I think in doing this teachers walk a fine line. The arts do offer students who are not directly majoring in art benefits that are more often than not, overlooked but teachers also need to address why art standing alone is a viable career option as well. Art is given the stigma of a dead end, or a supporting talent like you said and it is important for teachers to address this myth so that students can throw out this misconception. By bringing working artists into the classroom and discussing what life looks like for an artist, it will allow students to replace their misconceptions with the facts. Maybe more students will be inspired to pursue careers in the arts where their real passions lie rather than moving into a career path that does not inspire them as a result of the stigma attached to professional artists. More students will also realize that art is something to be taken seriously because it does have so many benefits that extend beyond the physical and active creation or pieces.
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