| Fall 2006 |
"An artist cannot fail; it is a success to be one." This quote by American sociologist Charles Horton Cooley supports my opinion that art is first and foremost a form of self-expression. When we engage in any kind of artistic endeavor, whether it is writing a poem, playing an instrument, or painting a picture, we create a tangible manifestation of our inner selves. Furthermore, the most rudimentary psychology book will tell you that self-expression is vital to our mental and emotional health. Thus, it logically follows that art — not just its appreciation, but its creation as well — is vital to our well-being as healthy individuals and as a progressive society.
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| Arts education begins at the primary
level.
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For example, the National Endowment for the Arts conducted a research study to determine the effects of arts education on participation in the arts. Using data from the 1992 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts, researchers found that formal arts education was the most indicative variable in predicting the creation of art; that is, people who received arts education were exceedingly more likely to create art themselves. Interestingly, arts education was a stronger predictor than even personal background or socioeconomic status, debunking the commonly held myth that fine art is to be created and appreciated only by certain "types" of people (including the wealthier segments of society).
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| Arts education makes for healthy individuals and a productive
society.
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Undoubtedly, these studies support the notion that arts education is beneficial to the development of capable and open-minded citizens, who in turn are better suited to build stable and tolerant communities. Arnold Aprill, the executive director of the Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education (CAPE), feels that, as this notion becomes more widely accepted in society, certain positive changes are being effected between educational institutions and the art community. In his essay "Finding the Thread of an Interrupted Conversation: the Arts, Education, and Community," Aprill points out that specific beneficial tendencies are becoming apparent, such as more challenging instruction in the arts, equal access to arts education, and ever-expanding roles for colleges and universities in the propagation of arts education.
This is where Arts at Michigan and the Click on the Arts (COTA) program comes into play. The University of Michigan makes education about the arts a priority. Arts at Michigan and COTA are programs that work to connect you to the world of art that is right here at our fingertips, in our diverse campus community. We work to educate and enrich the arts experiences of all students, faculty, and staff, inspiring you to appreciate all forms of art and motivating you to engage in artistic endeavors of your own. We hope to guide you on your path to creative fulfillment, and we encourage you to check our website (often!) for interviews, articles, and most importantly, inspiration.
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