When students show up to art class, they are not entering a space to draw in their sketch pads or paint Claude Monet-inspired water lilies. They are showing up to an unexpected world of emotional connection, critical thinking, visual analysis, and creative soul-searching. Even when a student is not having a ‘good day,’ they come to the art room and ask if they can paint, taking a break from the pressures of elementary school.
Some days can be intense. We interrogate artistic styles and the market value of art. As I hold up reproductions of popular works, I ask them, “Why do you think Pablo Picasso painted the Woman in Hat and Fur Collar like that?” I then ask, “Why do you think Jeff Koon’s Balloon Dog sold, at auction, for $58.4 million?” Most of the time I get giggles and laughter, they’re only in fourth grade, but after a brief pause, I see the light bulb moment. In that instant, they begin to really think, to consider the colors of Picasso’s palette, the shine of Koon’s balloon dog. Next comes a flood of questions. “Why are her eyes crooked? Why is she yellow? Her hair is green like the witch in the movie Wicked. Is $58.4 million a lot of money? What’s an auction? Now art class begins. They've accepted the challenge: to simply think.
According to the Hechinger Report, disciplinary infractions were 3.6 percentage points lower among students who had art exposure, according to the study, Investigating the Casual Effects of Art Education, which published online in the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management in November 2022. In the schools without art, 14.5 percent of students were disciplined compared to only 10.9 percent of students in schools with art. https://hechingerreport.org/proof-points-the-lesson-the-arts-teach/#:~:text=Disciplinary%20infractions%20were%203.6%20percentage,and%20Management%20in%20November%202022.
Yes, art class can even help with student discipline in school. Visual arts in elementary school goes beyond crayons and paint. When we talk about Vincent van Gough, we discuss individuals with mental health conditions (health and wellness). When we talk about Kehinde Wiley, we talk about painting a portrait of the first black president of the United States of America (history). When we talk about Elizabeth Catlett, we talk about women of color in art (social movements). Students truly think critically about social norms and behaviors, they understand how geometric shapes are used in figurative paintings, they evaluate an artists’ creative process, and they even become mini-art critics. They think about how art allows them to be creative and innovative. They realize, much like Jeff Koons, they can turn a simple ides into something magnificent. Art class allows them to think and then imagine the possibilities of their future beyond fourth grade.
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