The benefits of the arts seem apparent, as a participant or an observer. There must be a feeling of accomplishment and confidence for the artist who creates something beautiful on a blank canvas. And there is certainly evidence of enjoyment when an audience applauds a ballerina for a flawless performance. But can these individual feelings and experiences translate to a whole community? Can the arts truly have an impact on communities?
Recently, I discovered my home town of Warrior, Alabama has been refurbishing a vacated armory into a state of the art library and arts center. The Regional Library & Arts Center is a project of the community of Warrior in partnership with several surrounding small communities. The vision, when realized,
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I searched the internet for studies or information regarding the impact of community art endeavors hoping to find some understanding of the process. Some findings were rather discouraging. According to Joshua Guetzkow’s paper, “How the Arts Impact Communities: An introduction to the literature on arts impact studies,” few community impact studies offer convincing proof the impact of arts programs is greater at the community level than other projects. Guetzkow brings to light that empirical evidence is less likely to be obtained since there are so many variables to be considered as well as differing definitions of those variables (Guetzkow).
Regardless of the seemingly difficult task of presenting robust evidential studies, many advocacy agencies vigorously tout the arts as essential to a healthy community. The Americans for the Arts Agency lists the following ten characteristics of a healthy community in which the arts play a critical role (americansforthearts.org).
1. The arts bring together diverse people.
2. Elected officials understand the importance of supporting the arts and do so.
3. The arts are valued as a critical component of learning for all children (at-risk included) and for adults both in the classroom and in other educational
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Participating in arts projects puts people in touch with their heritage and helps give definition to community identity. This has a direct impact on community pride and solidarity. Making art and experiencing art is an act of hope and renewal. Participating in a community arts program may not directly put bread in the mouth, but it provides a rich and nourishing spiritual meal that is often
Rhys Southan’s essay “Is Art a Waste of Time?” is about art and if it can really help people who are suffering or is it just better to hand over your money. In Yo-Yo Ma’s essay “necessary Edges: Arts, Empathy, and Education” he focuses more on art being used as educational purposes to essentially create more innovative/empathetic people. Instead of focusing so much on STEM, the author states that we should incorporate art too. Although some people might say art does not play a role in making the world a better place. I believe it can by bringing awareness to different social issues. Also, if we incorporate art at a young age it can teach kids to be open minded and happier people.
Holcomb, Sabrina. "Arts Education." Rss. National Education Association, 17 Jan. 2007. Web. 10 May 2016.
A recent development in public education has been the decline in arts programs nationwide. Budget cuts to arts programs are responsive to decreases in state funding, especially in states with conservative economic policies. Many states have also enacted legislation disabling local school districts’ abilities to justify employing art and music teachers. Consequently, several problems have manifested themselves, including the loss of arts programs proving detrimental to the overall quality of education for today’s children. First and foremost, arts programs improve overall performance in core school subjects; this is demonstrated clearly through higher test scores amongst students with exposure to arts and positive correlations between arts and core class engagement. Other reasons supporting retaining arts programs include to help foster community development, produce creative minds, develop problem-solving skills, aid in child development and visual-spatial skills, and encourage underprivileged students to remain in school (Metla, 2015). By removing arts programs from some public schools, an alarming issue of public concern arises. Public education, given that it is considered to be a non-rivalrous and non-excludable, is deemed a public good (Clark, 2016). Cutting arts programs in public schools, especially when cuts transpire in schools saturated with heavy minority populations, creates inequitable education and creates a serious issue of public concern.
So the questions become, does art impact culture or does culture impact art? Art and culture are not simple; the relationship between the two is rather abstract, which communicates an intellectual union. For example, art reflects the economic state of a union and the reason behind why the art was created may have been a result of the society or culture in which the art was created. Art motivates or lifts people up in the same way a song can lift spirits or change one’s attitude. In “Patterns of Culture” Ruth Bendicts discusses that in order to understand a culture, one must be able to understand it and look at it as a whole. Specifically, if a person can understand a culture and appreciate why societies do certain things, then this could lead them to gain more value for that culture. In the same way, this relates to art because culture shapes the wealth and symbolism of that era. The impact of art is widely treasured around the world shaping and reflecting on the works from the past such as the Taj Mahal, and the Sistine chapel. If it weren’t for the mutual appreciation between cultures, then art would not be as widely appreciated
INTRODUCTION Art festivals are temporary events that can result in long lasting value for building socially engaged communities. Focusing on participatory art festivals to explore the spatial and social relationships that offer ways for communities to build strong social connections within the public realm. In The Creative Community Builder’s Handbook, by Tom Borrup, five ways in which arts and culture can build communities are identified: by promoting interaction in public spaces, increasing civic participation, engaging youth, promoting stewardship, and increasing participation in civic agenda (Borrup, 2006). Each of these approaches can be connected with the types of interaction that occurs during a participatory art festival, proving them
In fact, art has many advantages of shifting the life of everyone such as art makes people become famous and makes people get a little money to pay for lives. For example, as an art project “the picture of garbage” from Vik Muniz and a group of people from landfill; that was not from any fancy or expensive materials, but everything has provided by trashes from the landfill. Art is an irreplaceable way of understanding and expressing the world (Association of American Colleges & Universities, 2008, Vol. 94, No. 1); it also reduces the poverty and
“Every student in the nation should have an education in the arts.” This is the opening statement of “The Value and Quality of Arts Education: A Statement of Principles,” a document from the nation’s ten most important educational organizations. The basic message is that music and art programs in the schools help our kids and communities in real and substantial ways. There is an abundant amount of facts and information that supports this statement. The benefits of arts education can be narrowed down into 4 basic categories: success in developing intelligence, success in ...
It can range from sculptors, paintings, murals, mosaics, graffiti, tagging, and even more. Many people often forget about the excitement that art has to offer; the way that it makes people feel is a sensation that can truly not be replaced by any other sight. Having something symbolic and cultural in your community enlightens the people that live there. It is what sets you apart from any other town. For instance it give... ...
The arts have been known to be good community generators. Many arts advocacy groups are a part of the development of healthy engaged neighborhoods. There are a wide range of ways for which art can engage communities. The Art festival is a temporary approach with long lasting value. A one or two day can range from music festivals, performances, art fairs, participatory arts festivals, and so on. Focusing on a few examples of participatory and interactive arts festivals, and how they offer a multiple ways for communities to build strong social connections in communities. In Tom Borrup’s Book, The Creative Community Builder’s Handbook, he identifies four ways in which arts and
Art Education is not always valued in school settings. Although some may see it as an unnecessary use of school funding, there are many who believe it is beneficial to students in more ways than one. There are many different studies that have been conducted to test the effects that art education has on school-aged children. Some studies have proven that art education can help students to improve in other academic areas. In a journal article from Ohio State University’s “Theory in Practice,” Karen A Hamblen states, “There are linkages between art learning and learning in other subjects areas and that art study can promote creative behaviors, critical thinking skills, and academic achievement.” It has also been found that the arts can teach children better self-regulatory strategies, and even foster more confidence and self-efficacy in school which relates to confidence in academics. Overall, art education in schools has been very beneficial and has proven to ignite creativity, confidence, critical thinking skills, and academic achievement in students.
The arts are important to schools and to the students. The arts help the students to concentrate, and helps them develop language. The arts also helps with spatial-temporal skills, with socializing, and with communicating.
National Assembly of State Arts Agencies. (2014) State Policy Briefs. “Why Should Government Support the Arts” Retrieved April 18, 2014, from http://www.nasaa-arts.org/Advocacy/Advocacy-Tools/Why-Government-Support/WhyGovSupport.pdf
According to the Australian Curriculum and Assessment Reporting Authority (ACARA) (2017a, version 8.3) by participating in the four strands of Creative Arts; Dance, Drama, Music and Visual Arts it enables children to explore, form and express their understanding of themselves and others as they make sense of their world. For instance, when children participate in Dance they are
Firstly, it enhances students creativity by allowing them to make a self-expression. In most art programms, students are asked to create a painting that represents memory or compose a new rhythm for a piece of music. When students are taught to think creatively, it helps them in their future career. Secondly, the arts improve academic performance, students who are regularly participate in the arts does better in their academic achievement. Thirdly, it develops the students fine motor skills when they hold an instrument such as a paintbrush or oil pastel. Fourthly, while mastering a subject, students build self-confidence. Fifthly, the arts help students to develop their visual-spatial skills. Students need to know more about their sorroundings through visual than just what they can learn through text and numbers. Art education teaches students to appreciate, criticize or interpret by using the visual information. Sixthly, the arts strengthens problem solving and critical thinking skills by allowing the students to make choices and decisions. This is certainly allows them to carry over into their education and other parts of life—as this is surely a valuable skill in their adulthood. Seventhly, perseverance whereby the students will be asked to develop new skills and work through difficult projects during the career. Eightly, focus whereby when students persevere through painting, singing or learning in a play, focus is
There are also things like feelings and emotions that science fails to explain. Art can really help express one’s feelings as it captures their mood and style in it. One of the biggest advantages of art is that it can help capture different perspective and give us a better understanding of life. Instead of giving us a universal truth, like science, art can give us wisdom from different experiences.