MICHAELA VERBRUGGE

THE ARTS : WHY SOCIETY

NEEDS MORE OF IT
LT4 Living Discipline Photo Essay: Fine Arts CDPD 500 

“ T H E A R T S A R E N O T A W AY T O M A K E A L I V I N G . T H E Y A R E A V E R Y H U M A N W AY O F M A K I N G L I F E M O R E B E A R A B L E . P R A C T I C I N G
A N A R T, N O M AT T E R H O W W E L L O R B A D LY, I S A W AY T O M A K E Y O U R S O U L G R O W, F O R H E A V E N ’ S S A K E . S I N G I N T H E S H O W E R .
D A N C E T O T H E R A D I O . T E L L S T O R I E S . W R I T E A P O E M T O A F R I E N D , E V E N A L O U S Y P O E M . D O I T A S W E L L A S Y O U P O S S I B LY
C A N . Y O U W I L L G E T A N E N O R M O U S R E W A R D . Y O U W I L L H A V E C R E AT E D S O M E T H I N G . ”

- K U R T V O N N E G U T, A M A N W I T H O U T A C O U N T R Y.
H I S T O R I C A L LY, E V E N I N T H E M O S T D I F F I C U LT O F T I M E S , H U M A N S H A V E A L W AY S TURNED TO ART TO
SEEK COMFORT AND EXPRESS THEIR INNERMOST DESIRES. THE ARTS CAN HELP U S N A V I G AT E H I G H
T E N S I O N S , S O C I A L A N D E C O N O M I C S T R E S S A N D U N C E R TA I N T Y O F T H E F U T U R E . A R T I S A W AY F O R
H U M A N S T O C O N N E C T T H R O U G H A U N I V E R S A L LY U N D E R S T O O D D I A L E C T T O F O R M A COMMUNITY WITH
P E O P L E T H AT H A V E A S I M I L A R U N D E R S TA N D I N G .
S E V E R A L E X P E R I M E N T S H A V E F O U N D T H AT M A K I N G O R E X P E R I E N C I N G A R T C A N H E L P T O C A L M U S ,
O R I T C A N I N S P I R E A N D S T I M U L AT E U S . T H E A C T O F M A K I N G A R T F O C U S E S O N T H E U S E O F B O T H
THE BODY AND THE MIND, ALLOWING US TIME TO LOOK INWARD, BE REFLECTIVE AND THINK. ART
O F F E R S A S PA C E F O R R E L E A S E , A C T S A S A F O R M O F M E D I TAT I O N A N D A P L A C E F O R U S T O
E X P R E S S O U R S E LV E S F R E E LY. A R T S A R E N E C E S S A R Y F O R S E L F E X P R E S S I O N A N D O U R O V E R A L L
WELLBEING.
A R T I S A U N I V E R S A L L A N G U A G E T H AT O F F E R S R O O M F O R S E L F - D E V E L O P M E N T, S A F E Q U E S T I O N I N G , A N D I N T R I N S I C P R O C E S S I N G ,
E S P E C I A L LY W H E N I T C O M E S T O T O P I C S T H AT A R E H A R D T O A P P R O A C H : S U C H A S G R I E F A N D L O S S . M O S T P E O P L E E X P R E S S
T H O U G H T S T H R O U G H C O N V E R S AT I O N . H O W E V E R , S O M E P E O P L E F I N D I T H A R D T O C O M M U N I C AT E T H E I N N E R W O R K I N G O F T H E I R
M I N D S D U E T O T R A U M A O R G R I E F. F O R M A N Y, A R T A C T S A S A V E S S E L F O R P R O C E S S I N G T R A U M A A N D E M O T I O N S . I T I S A W AY T O
B R E A K C O M M U N I C AT I O N B A R R I E R S , H E L P I N G T O I L L U M I N AT E C O N F L I C T S , D E F E N C E S , A N D T H O U G H T S T H AT M AY N O T B E E A S Y T O
VERBALIZE.
A R T I S A W AY F O R U S T O E X P R E S S A N D E X P L O R E I D E A S A N D E M O T I O N S T H AT W E M I G H T N O T E V E N
R E C O G N I Z E O U R S E LV E S . A R T L E T S U S E X P R E S S F E E L I N G S , C O N C E P T S A N D D R E A M S T H AT C A N N O T B E
E X P R E S S E D I N A N Y O T H E R W AY. E N G A G I N G W I T H A R T B O O S T C R I T I C A L T H I N K I N G A N D C A N T E A C H U S T O
TA K E T I M E T O B E M O R E C A R E F U L A N D T H O R O U G H I N H O W W E O B S E R V E T H E W O R L D .
A R T I S A M U T U A L E X P E R I E N C E . M A K I N G A R T I S A C O L L A B O R AT I V E P R A C T I S E . A R T
F O R M S S U C H A S D A N C E , T H E A T R E A N D C H O I R A L L I N V O LV E A T E A M O F
C R E AT O R S A N D A U D I E N C E S . A R T G I V E S U S A R E A S O N T O C O M E T O G E T H E R A N D
SHARE OUR EXPERIENCE. IT CAN GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK AS A TEAM.
A R T I S A N AT U R A L A N D P R I M A L H U M A N B E H A V I O U R . H I S T O R I C A L LY S P E A K I N G , H U M A N S I N E V E R Y C U LT U R E
H A V E B E E N C R E AT I N G A R T S I N C E T H E B E G I N N I N G O F T I M E . A R T T R U LY I S A F U N D A M E N TA L H U M A N
B E H A V I O U R . I T I S W I D E LY R E C O G N I Z E D A N D U N D E R S T O O D A C R O S S C U LT U R E S D U E T O I T B E I N G A C O R E
PA R T O F U S A L L . A R T H E L P S T O M A K E U S C O M P L E T E H U M A N B E I N G S .
A R T H E L P S U S TA L K A B O U T O U R H I S T O R Y A N D PA S S O N S T O R I E S . A R T A C T S A S A H I S T O R I C A L R E C O R D
A N D A W AY T O P R E S E R V E C U LT U R A L I D E N T I T I E S . A R T H A S T H E A B I L I T Y T O D O C U M E N T E V E N T S A N D
E N C O U R A G E A R I C H E R U N D E R S TA N D I N G O F H I S T O R Y.
A R T E X P R E S S E S T H E I D E A S O F C U LT U R E , I T R E F L E C T S T R A D I T I O N S , C O N V I C T I O N S A N D I D E N T I T Y. I T
S E E K S T O S U S TA I N T H E M A N Y C U LT U R A L B A C K G R O U N D S T H AT M A K E U P O U R W O R L D . A R T I S A
C H R O N I C L E O F O U R O W N L I V E S A N D E X P E R I E N C E S O V E R T I M E . W E N E E D A R T T O A P P R E C I AT E A N D
S H A R E O U R P E R S O N A L A N D C O L L E C T I V E PA S T.
A R T I N T H E F O R M O F E D U C AT I O N C A N H E L P T O L I N K S T U D E N T S T O T H E I R O W N S O C I E T Y A S W E L L A S
T O T H E R I C H H I S T O R Y A N D C U LT U R E A R O U N D T H E M .
"ART DOES NOT S O LV E PROBLEMS, BUT MAKES US AWARE OF THEIR EXISTENCE" - MAGDALENA
ABAKANOWICZ
T E A C H I N G A R T I N S C H O O L S O N T H E O T H E R H A N D , A C T U A L LY H E L P S T O S O LV E A M U LT I T U D E O F S O C I E TA L A N D E D U C AT I O N A L
I S S U E S . T H E R E H A V E B E E N Y E A R S O F R E S E A R C H T H AT P R O V E T H AT A R T E D U C AT I O N C A N B E L I N K E D T O W H AT S O C I E T Y W A N T S
I N T H E I D E A L C H I L D A N D S C H O O L S Y S T E M . I N T E G R AT I N G A R T I N O U R S C H O O L S C A N P R O M O T E T H I N G S S U C H A S : S O C I A L A N D
E M O T I O N A L D E V E L O P M E N T, A C A D E M I C S U C C E S S , P O L I T I C A L PA R T I C I PAT I O N A N D E Q U A L O P P O R T U N I T Y. PA R T I C I PAT I O N I N T H E
A R T S C A N B E C O R R E L AT E D W I T H P R O G R E S S I N M AT H , C O M P R E H E N S I O N , E M O T I O N A L C A PA C I T Y, C R I T I C A L T H I N K I N G , A N D
V E R B A L A B I L I T Y. A R T S E D U C AT I O N C A N A L S O B O O S T M O T I V AT I O N , F O C U S , T R U S T A N D T E A M W O R K .

SOURCE- H T T P S : / / W W W. E D U T O P I A . O R G / A R T S - M U S I C - C U R R I C U L U M - C H I L D - D E V E L O P M E N T
U S I N G T H E A R T S T O TA C K L E I N S T R U C T I O N W I L L H E L P S T U D E N T S B Y V I S U A L LY D E V E L O P I N G
A D E E P E R I N T E R P R E TAT I O N O F C O M P L E X T O P I C S , M A K I N G T H E M E A S I E R T O U N D E R S TA N D .
I N T E G R AT I N G A R T W I T H O T H E R F I E L D S I N A C R O S S C U R R I C U L A R S E T T I N G , M AY H E L P T O
REACH STUDENTS WHO WOULD OTHERWISE NOT BE AS ENGAGED IN CLASS WORK.
V I S U A L A R T S B U I L D S A F O U N D AT I O N A L K N O W L E D G E A B O U T C O L O U R , C O M P O S I T I O N , P E R S P E C T I V E
A N D B A L A N C E : A L L S T R AT E G I E S T H AT A R E I M P O R TA N T I N T H E S I M P L E M O D E S O F P R E S E N TAT I O N T H AT
A R E S O P R E V A L E N T I N O U R D AY T O D AY L I V E S . T O D AY M O R E T H A N E V E R , T H E W O R L D H A S A F O R U M
T O A C T A N D B U I L D I N A N O N L I N E E N V I R O N M E N T. A L O T O F U S A R E I M M E R S E D I N T H E S E F O R M S O F
C R E AT I V I T Y O N A R E G U L A R B A S I S , V I A S O C I A L M E D I A , P R E S E N TAT I O N S , M E M E S A N D T I K T O K S .
N O W M O R E T H A N E V E R P E O P L E A R E S P E N D I N G T I M E C R E AT I N G O N
D I F F E R E N T P L AT F O R M S , E I T H E R T O S U B S I D I Z E I N C O M E L O S S O R T O C R E AT E
I M A G E R Y O R V I D E O S T H AT M O T I V AT E S C H A N G E . T H I S A L L C O M E S A B O U T B Y
U S I N G A C R E AT I V E M I N D S E T A N D B A S I C A R T I S T I C S K I L L S .
A S T U D Y B Y " A M E R I C A N F O R T H E A R T S ” H A S R E P O R T E D T H AT Y O U N G P E O P L E W H O A C T I V E LY PA R T I C I PAT E I N
T H E A R T S A R E F O U R T I M E S A S L I K E LY T O B E A C K N O W L E D G E D F O R A C A D E M I C S U C C E S S , T O PA R T I C I PAT E I N A
M AT H A N D S C I E N C E F A I R , O R T O R E C E I V E A N E S S AY O R P O E T R Y A W A R D , T H A N C H I L D R E N W H O D O N O T
PA R T I C I PAT E .

S O U R C E - H T T P S : / / W W W. S E N E C A A C A D E M Y. O R G / 1 0 - R E A S O N S - W H Y- I N T E G R AT I N G - A R T- I S - I M P O R TA N T- I N - S C H O O L /
THINK ABOUT HOW YOUR LIFE WOULD BE IF ART WASN’T
A C C E S S I B L E O R I F I T W A S N E V E R I N C O R P O R AT E D I N T O Y O U R
E D U C AT I O N . W O U L D Y O U S T I L L B E W H O Y O U A R E T O D AY ?
 Reference Photo:
1. Photo from https://www.evexperience.com/public-art
2. Photo by Mario Tama - https://www.lamag.com/citythinkblog/covid-19-stats/
3. Photo by Jeremy Hibbert - https://www.thoughtco.com/biography-of-yayoi-kusama-4842524
4. Painting by Laura Zombie - https://lorazombie.com/products/all-colors-are-beautiful-by-lora-zombie
5. Photo by Benjamin Sutton - https://hyperallergic.com/433179/new-banksy-murals-midwood-brooklyn/
6. Photo of the Russian ballet “The Nutcracker” - https://www.venuecymru.co.uk/nutcracker-1
7. Photo by Pablo Gimenez - https://www.treehugger.com/best-ancient-cave-paintings-4869319
8. Photo by Michaela Verbrugge
9. Beadwork by Beadwork by Amanda Laliberte, Ashley Copage, Ashley McKenzie-Dion, Didi Grandjambe, Jennelle Doyle, Joelle Charlie, Kyla Woodward, Lenore
Augustine, Marissa Magneson, Mellz Compton, Monique Jolly, and Rena Laboucan. - https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/beaded-map-canada-completion-1.5712673
10.Painting by Yann Houri- https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/513551163731249347/
11.Photo by Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times - https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/heres-how-artists-are-responding-killing-george-floyd-180975036/
12. Illustration by Angelina Bambina - https://www.bloomberg.org/blog/how-the-arts-can-improve-mental-health-especially-during-the-pandemic/
13. Illustration by Bridie Cheeseman - https://theartsdevelopmentcompany.org.uk/resources/good-to-know-1/what-is-vlogging-2/
14. Illustration by Pete Ryan - https://www.shopify.co.uk/blog/211990409-how-to-sell-art-online
15. Illustration by Elise Wrabetz - https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/viral/they-can-t-vote-they-can-meme-how-these-tiktokers-n1243555
16.  Photo credit: businessinsider.com
17. Photo credit: Chourmo - https://allweart.wordpress.com/2015/02/19/a-world-without-arts-men-without-souls-children-with-no-toys-sleep-without-dreams/