Attitudes towards art

Well here is another post after a very long absence. I haven't got used to blogging yet. There is not much to say on a regular basis that I think would be riveting to other people.

Anyway, during my marketing frenzy, I have noticed something - something not very surprising, but it irks me all the same.
It is a very rare thing for an Indian parent to show any interest in an Art camp. Science and Math camp sure! But even if a child is begging for Art classes, they are seen as a waste of time.

For many Indians, Art is seen as unimportant - even for very young children. It is often viewed as an enhancement activity, something to keep kids busy after all of the serious learning. Often as a teenager, when I professed an interest in studying Art, family friends would say to me "study something serious, you can always keep Art as a hobby".
This, of course, exists beyond the Indian community. Often when teaching Art in Middle and High schools, teachers in other subject areas would ask me to change what I was teaching so that it would tie in with their curriculum ("we are studying Ancient Greece, it would be lovely if you could make pots with the kids"). The thing is, like all other subjects, Art has it own set of rules, principles and basic elements which have to be learnt. Classes cannot be arbitrarily changed unless they fit into a set curriculum.

The bottom line is, Art is not a subject that requires no thought - in fact a great deal of critical thought and problem solving is required when studying its formal elements. A good Art education changes the way a student thinks and approaches problems. It can improve students skills in other subjects, and it can teach students who learn differently how to understand and master things in their own way. It goes far beyond 'painting pretty pictures'.