by Morgun Henson

At the Arts & Science Center (ASC), educating the community through the arts and sciences is a big part of our mission! We take this responsibility very seriously, aiming to emphasize this in many ways. One way we love doing this is by collaborating and connecting with local schools.

jeff donaldson portrait by robert morehead middle school student

Arkansas is an arts-rich state with several amazing resources in place to connect communities to the arts. Two programs we are proud to partner with are Arts Integration and Arts in Education. These programs are designed for nonprofit organizations to sponsor artists to visit and have residencies in local schools. This provides students with unique creative experiences outside of their normal classes.

This spring, ASC was able to make a collaborative project possible between three local schools: Pine Bluff High School, Dollarway High School, and Robert Morehead Middle School. Students from Pine Bluff High School kicked the project off by working with artist Elly Bates to research significant figures from the Pine Bluff area and create portraits of these figures. The portraits were transferred to fabric, and then artist Aida Ayers worked with students from Dollarway High School to quilt the portraits together using different techniques. Finally, students from Robert Morehead Middle School worked with singer/songwriter Kabrelyn “Brie” Boyce to piece together music to go along with the portraits based on the mood they portray.

Cool, right? But you may be wondering, why do we have programs like this? Well, there are a host of benefits that come from integrating art into education…

Academic Achievement

april gentry-sutterfield working with dollarway high school students

Let’s start with the basics… Hundreds of studies show the proven advantages of the relationship between art and academics. According to a Stennis Institute Study, “schools that effectively implement arts integration have either significantly reduced or completely eliminated the educational achievement gap for economically disadvantaged students.”

This is not new information, however, it is a point that can be easily overlooked by our education system — especially in schools facing poverty or budget cuts. In 2001, No Child Left Behind defined art as a “core academic subject”, putting it on equal footing with English, reading, math, science, history, and other subjects.

Though art is typically seen as an elective, or inclusive to only a certain group of people, it can benefit every type of student. Art improves a student’s critical thinking skills and help to develop creative problem-solving skills. A publication by Sandra S. Ruppert shows that “the arts nurture a motivation to learn by emphasizing active engagement, disciplined and sustained attention, persistence and risk-taking, among other competencies.”

Impact on Low-Income Populations

Integrating the arts into everyday education has proven to have the strongest impact on low-income populations. Practicing art provides students with a safe environment where they can escape and put any of life’s pressures on hold while being creative. It can also provide an outlet to reflect and express their emotions in a positive way. Pine Bluff suffers from a higher poverty rate than the state average. For this reason, it is very important that we pay close attention to this and use the available resources to help develop students’ cognitive abilities. “The benefits associated with the study of the arts are inclusive of all students, although they can be greatest for those who are educationally or economically disadvantaged. An arts-rich learning environment can have far-reaching effects that extend to the entire school and surrounding community,” explains Ruppert.

When students have the opportunity to learn about the community and create something to reflect the information they’ve learned, they are able to view themselves as part of the community’s culture. Artists have tremendous power to be movers, shakers, and culture-makers.

Empowering Students

Perhaps the hope and encouragement our AIE artists have provided these students have been the most powerful tool they will leave with them. For Brie Boyce, she just wants to leave her students with the empowerment to take advantage of a creative outlet. “I hope I’ve given them a new way to express themselves or just open the door to spark some curiosity about releasing and showing emotion.”

These artists have done a wonderful job of connecting everything to create a cohesive, well-rounded experience for the students. “We have to look at the work of artists who came before us. We look at the struggles and challenges that they were faced with and realize that it’s possible to overcome,” said Ayers. “We all have a story… Some of our stories are good and some of them are horrible, but what’s the story you want to live from now on? In the future, what story do you want to write? You write your story… Manifest it and live that story.”

The artists both doted on their experience with Pine Bluff schools. “I taught in Pine Bluff for two years prior to this residency, so I’ve always had a great relationship with this community. I love seeing the arts get more active. I’m excited about what the community has to offer the children. The kids at Morehead Middle School have been so respectful and excited to learn,” said Boyce.

Aida Ayers not only commended the students for their willingness to learn something new, but also for the difference her host teacher, Mrs. Bethel Byrd makes. “I love the students, and I love the teachers — especially Mrs. Byrd. Talk about being passionate and committed to her students,” said Ayers.

Sandra Ruppert sums it up best… “Research doesn’t hold all the answers to why the arts are important, but it does confirm what most people already know to be true in their hearts and minds: The arts make a significant contribution to helping all students achieve success in school, work and life.”

So, get your kids involved in the arts! Check with schools to see how they are integrating arts into their education. Research and support organizations in the state that are making a difference in these students’ lives. If you are in Southeast Arkansas, keep up with ASC! Bring your kids to our events, programs, camps, and workshops. Stop by and show them the art we have. We offer so many programs, either free or low-cost. If you aren’t in our area, reach out to your state’s arts organizations to see what there is in your area. Enriching your children’s lives through the arts will pay dividends. And the same goes for you… you’re never too old to experience the wonderful world of creativity, so get out there and learn!

For more information on our teaching artist residencies and partnerships, click here.

Questions? Contact Education Programs Manager Shakeelah Rahmaan at srahmaan@asc701.org or call 870-536-3375.

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The Power of the Arts