In the modern age of education, Humanities and art education have been stuck with the stigma of not mattering. It is brought up anytime that arts and humanities education is in the discussion that they have no benefit for the students and that they serve no educational or personal purpose. This claim is false for a variety of reasons. Arts education serves a purpose for students both educationally by allowing students to think creatively and analytically as well as express and learn ideas and personally by creating an outlet for students to express their emotions in a positive way. The best way to address the stigma of arts education and show the true value of this type of education is to address some of the arguments against arts and humanities. The arguments for arts education utilize statistics from an article written by Randy Cohen, the Vice President of Research and Policy at Americans for the Arts which is the United States’ advocacy organization for the arts.

1. Arts and Humanities are not useful in a student’s education and do not provide any educational benefit to the student.

This statement is simply not true. Students who participate in some form of arts education have displayed significantly higher grades and SAT scores (to the tune of an average of 100 points, with increased scores in all three sections). They also boast a significantly lower dropout rate and a higher participation rate in community service (Randy Cohen). This is due to the skills learned in arts education. Students who participate in the arts pay closer attention to the details, have stronger critical thinking skills, take criticism and apply it to their work more effectively, and have better memory retrieval skills. These are all skills developed by participation in the arts which in turn has led to more success in the classroom.

2. The Arts do not sustain people economically

While the art industry (acting, signing, painting, writing, etc.) is thought to be economically disadvantageous, this is a false statement. The creative industry (museums, symphonies, advertising companies, etc) employs about 2.99 million people which is about 2.17 percent of all employees in the country. The arts industry also generates 166 billion dollars in economic activity as well as supporting 5.7 million jobs and generates 30 million dollars in government revenue. The arts industry supports jobs in many different industries as well as generates revenue which advances our economy.  The art industry also is vital in tourism. People who travel for the arts typically stay longer in their location as well as spend more money. This benefits local merchants who work artistic events where travelers spend about forty dollars a person, not including the price of admission and food and beverages. This helps generate a thriving economy.

3. The Arts do not helps students find future employment.

Most people believe that arts education is not helpful when trying to find a career. In today’s job market, it is important to stand out which means you have to have skills that set you apart from the competition. These skills usually are based in creativity which is ironically promoted by the arts which most people think is not valuable when finding a job. Seventy-two percent of business leaders say that creativity is an important quality for an applicant to have when applying. They also said that the greatest indicator of this is an arts degree, whether it be in music, writing, dance, etc. Businesses are hiring people who think outside the box and do not just perform their duties in the status quo way. They want someone who can innovate and think apart from conventionality which will hopefully lead to their business being set apart from the rest.  Arts education and participation hones a persons creative skills and makes them very attractive to employers.

4. The arts are only meant to be entertaining and do not really serve a purpose outside of that.

While the arts are meant to be entertaining for communities and individuals, it is not the only purpose of the arts. Arts, as Randy Cohen put it, “Inspire us- fostering creativity, goodness, and beauty”. They allow us to share our beliefs and ideas with each other as well as allow us to understand other cultures and beliefs and seek to bring us together regardless of our race or background. The arts fosters stronger communities by bringing people in communities together and lead to more civic involvement and cohesion. It allows people to prosper mentally by giving them an outlet to express ideas and beliefs in a positive way. This outlet is all some people have. It is their voice.

The arts have been straddled with the belief that they are unimportant and do not matter in the “real world”. This simply could not be further from the truth. They teach skills, ideas, and inclusion. The arts brings people together because art does not seek to separate but to bring together. That is why arts education and involvement are vital to a well functioning school and society. We need the arts to provide what it does best which is to teach and to promote prosperity. Central has taken steps to promote arts and humanities education through the hiring of a second music teacher, addition of english electives to the curriculum, and a humanities class that studies classic texts and stage adaptations of those texts. Those things are all a step in the right direction and hopefully next time you think of the arts you see it as a tool that builds people, communities, and the world.

*The statistics about arts education come from Randy Cohen’s top reasons to support the arts.  Observations about its benefit that are non-statistical are from personal experience and conversations with those involved in arts education.