Art is the poor relation of education. When budgets need to be cut it is always the first to suffer, in particular when it is up against (STEM). This is short sighted. Without skills and experience in art then society suffers on a multitude of levels.
My early experience of art was using crayons and teachers who had little interest in the subject. They set us small challenges along the lines of ‘today I want you to draw …’ rather than teaching us about different art techniques ad really looking at an object. My flowers were clearly a species never seen before and my pictures of animals looked like I was having a nightmare. My artistic career peaked when I was about twelve years old when I came top of the class with my drawing of a municipal gas holder on fire. Apparently I caught the colour and shape of flames. My low point came many years later when as part of an exam for a degree I was asked to draw a carrot. Basically I couldn’t be bothered and threw a few scribbles on the paper. The examiner wasn’t impressed even after hearing my excuse that I was trying to catch the ‘carrotness’ of a carrot. My career headed away from art but my interest continued to grow through TV with programmes such as Robert Hughes The Shock of The New, Sister Wendy’s Story of Painting and Matthew Collings This is Modern Art. Today I visit galleries when we are passing through new towns and cities and my Pinterest boards continue to grow. But I have always felt that if I had a better introduction to art then not only would it have enriched my life but my career may have taken a different direction.
Art provides students with a rounded education. It teaches them the value of being creative, the application of innovation, and improve communication skills in particular self expression. Career development can be improved with stronger skills and experience in art. For example, innovative solutions in the digital world whether it is designing a new smart phone, connecting power generated by wave power to households, or harnessing the increasing power of AI. Art can play also play an important role in science where it can be used to visualise, understand and communicate research results. Outside of STEM, there are many social applications such as the rehabilitation of offenders, managing dementia, and improving mental health.
Political pressure needs to be put on the government to change its attitude towards art education. The various groups ranging from parents to employers need to demand that the money is found for more art education. Other groups such as artists and other creative types need to develop and give voice to the benefits for art education. How about some of the money saved from the recent cancellation of the northern part of HS2 being invested in art education?
Based on my lack of art education then the earlier it starts the better. It must become the fourth R along side the three Rs. This will put the groundwork in place for a future education that will put Art into STEM, which will be recognised as STEAM. Then when future generations of children pick up a crayon for the first time they will be inspired to develop and grow their skills and experience in subject that will be an integral part of their future.