Why teach art?

While a lot of schools are cutting budgets and the first things to go are programs like art and music I think these are essential things to teach children. Kids need a break from school work to be able to express themselves and create a piece of art work that though while working on it they may get frustrated but when they are finished they can have something to be proud of.  " In a curriculum crowded with academic subjects and factual learning, art is a welcome means of learning about oneself and the world. " (Emphasis Art) This quote from the book is really true though most people when they get older think that art was a waste of time they did not think that back when they were in school. Art was always something that me and my class mates looked forward too I think it is necessary to be taught. " One important feature of the arts is that they provide not only permission but also encouragment to use one's imagination as a source of content. Unlike in the sciences, where imagination is also of fundemental importance in the arts there is a tradtion that does not hold the artist responsible for" telling it like it it". In the arts children, like adult artists, can pursue whimsy if they wish the man's hair can be blue, they can tell it how they want it to be." (The Arts and the Creation of the Mind) All of these quotes from the book prove even further why we should teach art. Schools would not be the same without art programs, they are an opportunity for the student to really express themself. I think it is extremly important to teach art and I think that when budgets are getting cut schools should not just automatically turn to the arts to cut. "Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life." (Pablo Picasso)