Mondays Matter: Week 14

Taken from the book Every Monday Matters: 52 Ways To Make A Difference by Matthew Emerzian and Kelly Bozza

Create, Support, and Appreciate Art

93 % of people believe the arts are vital to a well-rounded education.

Regardless, only 29% of schools have been able to maintain time and funding for art programs.

Children spend more time at their lockers than in art classes.

Art promotes individuality, bolsters self-confidence, and improves overall academic performance.

Students who take 4 years of arts and music in high school average 100 points higher on their SATs than students who took only a half a year or less.

ACTION STEPS

1. Create an original piece of art today. If you don't know where to start, visit your local craft store and ask for help.

2. Sign up for an art class with a friend.

3. Visit a local museum, art gallery, or sculpture garden.

4. Volunteer to support an art activity at a local school or senior citizen program.

5. Communicate with your school-district administrators or national legislators by either writing a letter of appreciation for current funding or to request funding for the arts.

My kids love craft projects and we mostly focus on this during the summer. But at Christmas we always make our own gingerbread house, we carve original pumpkins at halloween, and we make our own valentines for family members, just to name a few. Frequently my kids can be seen at the table drawing and coloring on scratch paper, recreating super heroes, coming up with a menu for their own restaurant, or drawing family members. I am not the most creative person, but I encourage my kids to spend time in their own creative box and I proudly hang their works of art! We also frequently attend musical and theatre productions at the high school and our oldest child takes piano lessons.

Sit down with your family and take time to be a kid again. It can be as basic as opening a coloring book and coloring with your child. It is a great stress reliever! Just as there are many ways to express art, there are also many ways you can support and appreciate it.