Art and the 21st Century Workforce

In order to prepare a child for the 21st century workforce, a quality education must    include the visual arts. Learning through the visual arts contributes to the development of Critical Thinking, Communication, Collaboration, and Creativity, skills that are vital to being successful in today’s marketplace.

 

Critical Thinking

Viewing and discussing visual art challenges students to make inferences based on evidence, identify the ways artists communicate ideas, and then apply what is learned to their own art. While making art,  students plan, revise, analyze, make choices, and persevere to complete a work. Afterward, they reflect on what was learned and evaluate their decisions, which helps prepare them for future learning experiences.

 

Communication

Students communicate their ideas through images or objects they create and by talking and writing about their own art and the artwork of others. Classroom critiques provide a forum for a respectful exchange of ideas and opinions.

Collaboration

Students who collaborate in the art class learn to share ideas, listen to each other, weigh options, and value one another's strengths and contributions to the group effort. This prepares them to be team players when they enter the work force.

Creativity

By its very nature, the process of making visual art is creative. An art-making prompt allows for as many answers as there are students. When divergent thinking is accepted and nurtured, students are free to innovate and come up with novel solutions to problems. Developing the habit of creative thinking equips students to solve problems society will face in the future.

Looking for additional art classes outside of school? Check out these places: