BWW Blog: The Expression of the Arts

According to the Oxford Dictionary, the definition of art is "The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power." This definition is a true statement to how I feel when I'm in the theatre doing what I love. I want other children to feel accomplished and be inspired by the arts. One of the most difficult things is asking your parents for an extraordinary amount of money because your school won't fund your shows or pay for the bus to go to competition. But the real fact is that arts education is such an important part of everyday education because it has been proven to improve the student's academic record, the student is more likely to be involved in community service and it helps the overall growth of the student. With proper funding and a significant amount of interest in all art forms, we can be one step closer to arts for every life.

It has been a proven fact that a person involved in their local arts program is more likely to be recognized for academic achievement then a person involved in their local sports program. Americans for the Arts states that "students who take four years of arts and music classes average almost 100 points higher on their SAT scores than students who take only one-half year or less." It is a graduation requirement to have one fine arts credit. Most students at my school think that Theatre I is an easy "A" and are unwilling to continue theatre in their high school career. But arts education isn't only affected in high schools. 40% of elementary schools don't even have a standard art room. When budget cuts need to be made, the arts are the first to go. Interpreting scripts, building sets, costume design and more all involve reading and mathematical skills but 90% of schools don't have an art room or even a teacher equipped with the right skills to do so. This small accomplishment helped so many children already but if we were to expand it, it could help so many more children.

At my most recent State Thespian Competition, I had the pleasure of attending a workshop entitled 'Alice Ripley's Sustainable Mechanics' taught by Tony Award winning actress, Alice Ripley. In this workshop she taught us ways to warm up our body appropriately and keep it healthy while living the life of a performer. But the one thing she discussed that really struck a chord with me was how our president (Donald Trump) wants to take away our future jobs. Everything around us is art... The couch you're sitting on, the restaurants down the street, even the potted plants in your local mall were put there by a designer to create a certain look. These places all have one thing in common... they were all designed by and artist. I myself am a theatre student and as a student in college who is studying Theatre Arts, I see theatre as a potential career and the fact that my dream could be taken away from me sparks an uncontrollable flame. And if you are an artist and you don't feel the same spark inside you then I'm sorry, but you shouldn't be in this field. This all starts with the budget for the arts programs in our schools. Going back to the point I made earlier, even though sports programs might be more popular among the community, it is still unfair to not provide the same amount of money and opportunities to students involved in the arts.

"I want to be an artist" is such a broad statement because there are so many different forms of art. Whether it be acting, singing, dancing, directing, stage managing, painting, sketching, designing, etc. you are an artist, you were hired to carry out an artistic vision and don't let anyone take that away from you!