The Importance of Art Education

Art education can make a huge difference in a student’s life. For the simple fact that art can have a profound effect on an individual, it may be the only way to enable some students to express themselves. In fact, the importance of art education can be explained by the assumption that creative people actually constitute the culture. Presumably, art education develops critical and flexible thinking, manifesting itself in the studies of music, drawing, painting and other potential subjects that are accountable for the development of creativity.

It is never a good policy to take money away from any activity that helps students better express themselves. Art education aids the nations all over the world to cultivate the artists and musicians that represent specific cultures and contribute to the world’s creativity in general. Thus, art education is significant within any culture as it develops flexibility and stands for creative thinking, reflecting itself in the minds of people all over the world and affecting individual and public spirit.

To start with, it is necessary to shed light on two aspects that are under the influence of art education. Among them, one can find the effects that art actually exerts on an individual as well as its impact in regards to the public spirit. Not surprisingly, Eyring states that, “A robust arts education should be viewed as an essential component of a 21st-century curriculum” (8). It is due to the reason that art education has different facets of influence vital for the development of an individual. Specifically, art education serves as a trigger for intrinsic motivation of each student. It results in the interests directed towards different subjects. According to Booth, “By nourishing the latent artistry that exists in each student, teachers can spark creative engagement in any subject area” (22). The development of intrinsic motivation can be viewed as the main component that is essential for studying and even working in the future. With the help of art education, it is possible to give students a space for thoughts that enriches their abilities by ensuring their motivation. In the context of the influence on individual, it is paramount to highlight the assumption that “art-making cycle includes highly productive, creative, problem-solving processes” (Booth 24). It goes without saying that art education is necessary for revealing the student’s potential and directing it to the right way. The matter is that with the aid of arts, teachers create special environments that encourage learners to invest themselves spiritually and intrinsically. In addition to intrinsic motivation, one can take into account that art helps to develop competitive advantage, simultaneously creating a feeling in each student that he/she is special owing to the notion of divergent thinking and reflection. Thus, art education exerts a tremendous impact on the individual.

It is worth mentioning that art education have profound effects on the public spirit. Evidently, the public spirit is characterized by the life breath of each individual that is intrinsically motivated. Undoubtedly, such an interpretation is true. However, it is essential to point out that public spirit is not only enhanced by the motivational aspect. It is also affected by the products of people’s creativity. Namely, these products are the fruits of art education; they serve as the triggers for developing cultural standards and identifying the people’s magnitude in forming the background for mental activities. For example, one can consider music as the product of creativity. Sometimes, music serves as a useful tool that enriches the public spirit. It can be viewed as an indispensable way of expression that coincides with the feelings of some people and ensures the cultural belonging.

Apart from the influence on the individual and public spirit, it is paramount to delineate the role of art education in cultivating the talents of cultural representatives. There is no doubt that every culture has its own traditions. In this context, art education creates a suitable background for developing talents within the frame of a specific culture. It is true that certain cultures should have representatives that simultaneously affect the development of individuals as well as the growth of public spirit. Musicians and painters are people who have a tendency to increase  self-recognition within their culture and maintain a specific balance peculiar to the underlying nation.

It is widely acknowledged that some people have objections to the advantages that art education presupposes. Their conflicting views consist in putting exact sciences on the primary position due to the reason that professions connected with engineering, for example, are marked with career prospects while art is quite ambiguous when it comes to the notion of material security. Unfortunately, these societal points of view do not take into account the essence of art education as such. It is important for educators to realize that art and culture are closely tied up with each other. Their bonds should not be loosened by putting art education or the implementation of arts on the second place after exact sciences. Undoubtedly, art education has a special force that affects individuals as well as their public consciousness. Thus, the activities connected with creativity should be encouraged by teachers as the importance of art education is justified.

In conclusion, art education exerts groundbreaking effects on the individual’s horizons in the context of public spirit. Due to this reason, it is an issue of social significance that draws attention of every educator. It goes without saying that the students should not be deprived of the possibility to engage themselves in the activities that ensure divergent, critical and flexible thinking. Education should encompass all the spheres of art in order to provide the students with an opportunity to express themselves in all the possible ways.