Fine Art or Fluff?

Fine Art or Fluff?

Is fine art fluff? Does it have a rightful place in American education? I have no doubt that there are benefits to art education and I know first hand that it has numerous benefits for students. There is a lot of attention given to raising the standards in education and art is not seen by many as an integral part of this raising of the bar. I was never more aware of this than when I proposed some new art classes at the high school where I teach and attended the board meeting that was deciding whether or not to accept or exclude the new courses. The proposed class was a jewelry design class that is named in the state standards and outlined as a legitimate elective. One of the attending parents spoke out against the class called it “fluff” and insisted that the board focus more on the “academic” classes. My jaw dropped to the ground. Students at our high school are allowed 21 elective credits and they have many advanced “academic” classes that never get enough students to sign up for them. Does this mean that we should eliminate all electives that are not Math, Science, or English?
I believe that the arts are often misunderstood, especially by those who have never darkened the door of a museum, attended a symphony, or felt the exhilaration and fulfillment of an artistic endeavor. It is true, artists are a special breed and they often seem odd. People who think outside of the box and color outside the lines are often seen that way.