Art is present in every corner of the world. Whether it be in the form of music, dance, or painting, art is a method to preserve tradition and heritage from various cultures. Art is a talent that has been accepted more and more in recent years. Occupations such as fashion designing and the entertainment industry serve as a glorious platform for many to showcase their talents. However, are students exposed to enough education throughout their school journey that relates to potential art fields?

Art education is underestimated by those who lean towards the core academic subjects: math, science, language arts, and history. Art is a broad subject covering skills such as music, dance, theatre, journalism, painting, drawing, and many more. It is easy to question why and how these skills can help one grow. In fact, art is beneficial to all academic courses. It not only provokes one to think and break something apart and thoroughly comprehend it, but it also raises curiosity and the eagerness to learn more. Most art subjects require hands-on work and preciseness, which is a valuable skill in school and general life.

In the past, art education was not considered a priority. It was usually optional or considered an extra choice. Some people today may still question the value of art education, claiming that academic courses are much more necessary to succeed, but in today’s society, there are plenty of opportunities for people to follow their passion in art fields and still be successful and stable.

Apart from academic benefits, art positively influences personal lives as well. It is a process of self-expression. The different forms of art can be used to share one’s thoughts and beliefs. A strong example of this is how children use art to express their feelings. When they are young and have not learned writing and calculating, their go-to method to express what they are thinking is through drawings, songs, or dancing. This is because art can be used to communicate with others without needing words or numbers. Artists that are musicians, dancers, and actors are constantly under the spotlight on stage. Although these experiences can be nerve-wracking, it allows for the enhancement of self-growth and can significantly boost one’s self-esteem. It builds personality and provides a sense of presence that can be used anywhere in life. Art education provides academic advantages as simple as confidence and basic life skills, like strong and positive attitudes. This should be a more prominent section of the departments in many schools.

The value of art cannot be determined, but the rewards that come with it are priceless. Often, children are encouraged to do sports and extracurricular activities to be engaged out of school, but when it comes to career, highly prestigious and popular positions are suggested. Most of the time, parents want to see their children in a stable and successful placement, but as we head into almost half of 2021, society must accept artists for their interest and this must start by school curriculums finding a way to integrate and provide more courses and information dedicated purely to be art-related education which can allow students to gain exposure to these topics.