Art Classes in Public Schools
Art classes in public schools give students a break from more challenging academic courses and help them identify their artistic skills and talent. Art classes teach students to communicate their ideas, thoughts and feelings in variety of media such as watercolors, pastels and ink. Success in art classes can launch a student on a course of study that will prepare him for a career in graphic design, illustration or commercial art direction.
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Elementary School Art Classes
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Elementary school art students learn to recognize the works of major historic artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Claude Monet and contemporary artists like Jackson Pollock and Andy Warhol. Students learn basic color theory so they can understand relationships between the spokes on the color wheel. They also learn to use different art media, including watercolors, oil paints, charcoal and ink. They also learn different types of visual art such as landscapes, still life and portraits. Elementary school art classes in public schools also introduce children to three-dimensional art by teaching them to work with clay and textiles.
Secondary School Art Classes
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Secondary school art classes introduce photography to the art curriculum, teaching theories of composition and design that enable student photographers to take artistic photographs and photographs of school activities for the school newspaper or yearbook. Advanced visual art classes build on the knowledge of mixed media that students gained in elementary school. High school art courses also teach students to use graphic art and web design software such as Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop, and help students understand the relationship between visual art and mathematics. Secondary school art history classes also strengthen the student's knowledge of the use of art in advertising, politics and propaganda.
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Educational Assessment of Arts Programs
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The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) researches education for the U.S. Department of Education. The NCES's 2008 national report card assessed students' ability to respond to and create visual art. The national average score was 52 on a scale of zero to 100, with female students scoring higher than male students and White and Asian/Pacific Islander students scoring higher than Black and Hispanic students. These scores indicate that there is ample room for students to improve their art skills.
Careers in Art
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A student's public school education should help him prepare for a career. The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects employment in the graphic design field to grow because of jobs associated with website design, animation and interactive media. Most positions require a bachelor's degree in graphic design. Taking engaging, challenging art classes in public school can encourage students to pursue a degree and to seek a career in graphic design or another art-related field.
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References
- Photo Credit boy & girl drawing image by Jane September from Fotolia.com
