Art school

For most people what happens art school is a mystery.  A degree in art or design seems a risky choice in a culture which is, to say the least, ambivalent about art. This is understandable since artists in our society are often suspect and the arts are generally a minor concern in K-12 education.

So let’s begin here. Everything in the built human environment was first imagined visually—in the mind, in drawings, in models. So the products of visual thinking are everywhere—in art, in architecture, on computers, in fashion design, in advertising, in movies, on electronic screens, in video games. The list is endless. Students in art and design schools are at the source of all of this.

But how does this education occur? What in fact happens in art school?

A student in art school is trained to draw, to use a variety materials from paint to sculptural materials, to write, to think critically, to use every tool in the woodshop, to weld if they like, to problem solve and, above all, to be creative. Because of the nature of the art-making process and its critical feedback, a student also has the opportunity to confront their own humanity and vision.

So there it is. What might seem like the most unlikely choice of a degree is in fact one of the best choices.  And whatever happens after art school, happens with creativity and imagination.