Upon entering college, I would say that the advice I heard everywhere was always that of, "Just make sure you don't choose a useless degree, okay?" And when I'd ask these "advisors" out of curiosity, "What do you mean by a useless degree?" I often got the answer, "You know, like, art!"
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| Artwork featured in The Knoxville Museum of Art's exhibit Higher Ground, devoted to East Tennessee's artistic achievements. |
I assumed that this vague exclamation of "art" encompassed the variety of fields in the fine art world. Painting, illustration, animation, or graphic design are a few tracks many artists go to; or perhaps the musical world, in which you can learn the art of composition or how to master a instrument. The fine arts are the expression of human imagination and potential at its most beautiful and emotional. So, why did I always have to hear about its uselessness, when we are in a society that could not function without art? The music we listen to on our playlists, the architecture we see in our libraries, the paintings we buy to decorate our homes-- these are all things that massively contribute to society. So, when did all of a sudden art become useless?
This piece of "college advice" is only one example of the disregard our society has towards fine arts. Disregard or disrespect towards the arts is not just adults trying to ensure that child has a job after college. It also reflects an ignorance of the fine arts and a shift in societal value of capital above all else. It is thus unsurprising that self-expression and exploration through art is sidelined in favor of advanced STEM classes, business internships, competitive youth sports-- all things that seem to ensure future capital and employment. And people are not wrong to want that! We all want a roof over our heads, food on our plates, and a retirement plan one day. The things I listed before also hold immense value for a young person's development and experiences. Yet, it is not just ignorant but untrue to suggest that the fine arts do not provide avenues towards those goals, just as other jobs and careers do. Furthermore, this disdain towards the arts deprives our youth of creativity, imagination, self-expression, and self-betterment.
Throughout history, perceptions towards art and artists have changed repeatedly. There once was a time that artists were housed, paid, and respected in the high courts of local lords (such as Renaissance Italy, for example). Now, in a world valuing capital and career mobility, there is the stereotype of the "starving artist," in which artists are often unappreciated despite society's need for creativity and entertainment. This attitude has unfortunately extended to advice towards students, who are often discouraged away from the arts as they "can't make any money with it." As I said before, this is untrue, but also detrimental to the development of our youth. Who are we to stop the fostering of creativity, imagination, and expression? We have forgotten the personal benefit of art classes, of trying new mediums, as we enter this "adult world." We don't give ourselves time to sing with others anymore because we worry we'll sound bad, and we don't go to pottery classes at the local studio because we think we'll never use it.
This thinking has to stop, if not for its misconceptions, then for the amazing creativity and development that we may see students express as they participate in the fine arts. Creativity, critical thinking, empathy, self-confidence, communication-- fine arts education allows all of these positive attributes to flourish. Whether it is through sculpting classes, theater programs, or the school's marching band, we must allow our students to express themselves and realize the importance of the arts.
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