In an article Sarah Sichman wrote  for Associatedcontent.com, she addresses issues brought forward during Youth Art Month. To read more please follow this link — it will be worth your time.

Celebrate Youth Art Month

In tandem with its 50th anniversary, Americans for the Arts has published a ten year study (1998 — 2008) evaluating the health of the arts industry in the United States called the National Arts Index. The first of its kind, this study was designed to measure 76 national-level research indicators which were broken into nine measurement categories: Capacity & Infrastructure, Participation, Contributed Support, Employment, Nonprofit, Creativity, Arts Education Demand, Arts Business, and Competitiveness.

Some key findings of the National Arts Index include:

• The index hit its all time low in 2008, with a score of 98.4, dropping 4.2% points from 102.6 in 2007.
• The U.S. arts industry is composed of 100,000 nonprofit arts organizations, 600,000 art businesses, and employs 2.24 million artists in the workforce. However, economic difficulties have decreased consumer spending on the arts.
• Consumption patterns are changing; personal arts creation is on the rise, but charitable donations to the arts have declined.

The good news? Demand for arts in education is growing. In the past ten years, the numbers of students graduating with college arts degrees has increased from 75,000 to 120,000. Furthermore, based on past patterns Americans for the Arts estimates the arts to make a comeback by 2011. Said Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts, “For our part, we will dedicate 2010, which is our 50th anniversary, to strengthening the arts field by developing new business models for arts delivery that better suit an evolving industry as well as strengthening audience demand.”

To read the full report, click here.

“As a product of the public school system, I believe the availability of art education, and the tools necessary to keep up with the technologically advanced direction art is taking these days, needs to be recognized as a serious problem plaguing our public school system.

Chicago was a city built and designed by artists; it was a city that piloted the art education movement with the establishment of the Art Institute as the Academy of Fine Arts in 1879, so why is this very avant-garde location letting the availability of art to its public schools fall behind in comparison to the rest of the country?

Studies have shown an art-infused education leads to better standardized test scores. Also, according to a study by the National Center of Education Statistics, 90 percent of schools nationwide offer visual arts programs, whereas Illinois stands at only 63 percent.

Art assimilation in the classroom teaches children and young adults to build relationships with others while collaborating on a project. As you can see, with the right tools and resources we can help educate and guide the next Daniel Burnham or Frank Lloyd Wright.”

Sir Ken Robinson will also be speaking at TED2010, a four day program held in Long Beach, CA with speakers focusing on the topic of “What the World Needs Now …” For a taste of what this year’s talk might be like, check out the video below of Sir Ken Robinson’s presentation at TED2006.

How important has creativity been in helping to shape who you are today?

Students recently spent  an afternoon participating in a lesson provided by Art to Grow on Children’s Art Center Inc., a program that brings art education into local classrooms. For inspiration, the students were given examples of work by Degas, the 19th-century French impressionist.

“We want to promote dialogue and increase self-esteem.” Perelmuter said. We couldn’t agree more!

Please click on this link to read more about the success of this program.

Young in Art

“The San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts always has emphasized the art in our community, including our natural surroundings. SAMFA celebrates this in many ways, whether it is through our annual Eco Fair event or through the participatory exhibit “Visions and Choices” focused on the future of San Angelo.

For this reason, SAMFA has begun to focus more on using the strengths of art education to address some of our most pressing environmental concerns. This especially is evident in our partnership with the Upper Colorado River Authority.

The Museum purchased a block of buildings on South Oakes Street in 2004, and UCRA was looking for a space to house education programs. This partnership has flourished and has proven to be a natural fit for this intersection of art and science.”

To read about the art and it’s inspiration click here Students see science of Art

A recent study conducted by The Center for Arts Education has shown that strong art programs play an integral role in the graduation rates of high schoolers. Data collected from 200 New York City high schools revealed some startling facts:

• High schools in the top third of graduation rates had almost 40 percent more certified arts teachers per student than schools in the bottom third—or, on average, one additional arts teacher per school.
• High schools in the top third of graduation rates had almost 40 percent more physical spaces dedicated to arts learning per student than schools in the bottom third.
• High schools in the top third of graduation rates had 35 percent more graduates completing three or more arts courses than schools in the bottom third.

To read the full report, visit: Staying in School: Arts Education and New York City High School Graduation Rates.

Recent research has shown that integrating art therapy into an Alzheimer’s patient’s regimen may help them to not only reconnect with lost memories, but also serves as a form of communication with the outside world. The Legacy at the Oaks, a senior health center in Battle Creek, MI, has instituted an art program called “Living Colors” wherein residents can work with volunteer artists to create art and in turn, once again find their voices.

To find out more about the “Living Colors” program, read Art and Alzheimer’s Disease.

artwork by resident at The Legacy at the Oaks

“Mae Jemison is a poster child for an education that combines arts and sciences. As she says, “I always knew I’d go to space.” Trained as an engineer, Jemison is a medical doctor, and she practiced in LA before becoming the Peace Corps’ Medical Officer for Sierra Leone and Liberia. While running that effort, she researched Hepatitis B, schistosomaisis and rabies with the CDC and NIH.”

Click on this link and listen to her speak on the topic of combining arts and science in the education system.

Mae Jemison speaks on Teaching Arts and Sciences together

“When a parent has breast cancer, it causes a big change in a child’s life,” said Dr. Michelle Schmidt, assistant professor of internal medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. “It is so hard for young children to deal with a situation of this magnitude – their developmental skills are not mature enough. If they are struggling with their emotions, they may not come right out and say it.”

Schmidt said children need a way to express themselves on a level that they understand. Art is a perfect form of communication for a child.

Read more about these workshops at   Art Workshops Help Children Cope