I am thrilled to welcome to Dewey21C my newest guest blogger: Jane Remer. Jane has been a force in arts education for quite some time. Her knowledge, incisive mind, and take no prisoner attitude will undoubtedly make for a great guest blog. Who knows, if Jane likes it, maybe she’ll decide to open up her own regular blog on Artsjournal.com.
Richard
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Introduction: This is my first
entry as a guest blogger on Richard Kessler’s Dewey 21C site at ArtsJournal.
I’ve chosen the title Cliff Notes as a metaphor and a double entendre: first, to
represent short takes on long-standing and complicated issues, and second, to
provide a verbal image of the perpetually perilous state of the arts as an
essential part of general public education.
Notes from
the cliff may be a good way to teach and
learn these digital days. I’m accustomed to writing books, essays and lengthy
articles; I am hoping that the “notes” form will focus my message, and shed
some light on the many challenges we face and their possible solutions. Most of
all, I hope they stimulate a thoughtful dialogue.
My message
is simple: The arts are fundamental to the cognitive, affective, physical, and
intellectual development of all our children and youth. They are a moral imperative. They belong with
the 3 R’s, science, and social studies in elementary and secondary schools.
These schools treasure good quality instruction that inspires informed,
resilient young citizens to
participate fully in a democratic society that is in constant flux.
The problem
is complex: The arts in
have never been a priority for the general population. By and large, we value
utility, and the arts are usually regarded as entertainment or enrichment, not as
another pathway to understanding the intriguing mysteries of the human mind and
condition. Many are suspicious of the arts as expensive properties or
privileges of the elite. We insist on the reassurance of incontrovertible
evidence that they make some kind of tangible difference to human knowledge,
skills and understanding before we invest in them in our schools.
We are at
another rocky turning point in our history that threatens the survival of the
arts in our social and school systems. The timing and magnitude of our straits have
prompted me to identify what I see as
the most persistent issues I’ve encountered within the arts education field
over the last forty-plus years.
So, to start the conversation, here
is my first Cliff Note: The Arts as
Pork. On February 6, 2009, the U.S. Senate approved an amendment to the
economic recovery bill offered by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) that stated “None of
the amounts appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be used
for any casino or other gambling establishment, aquarium, zoo, golf course,
swimming pool, stadium, community park, museum, theater, art center, and
highway beautification project.” The
amendment passed by a vote of 73-24, and included support from many high
profile Senators from
I cannot think of a better example
of what happens to the arts (in general, and in education) when the political
and socio-economic stakes are high and the going gets rough. Here, the arts
became pork along with gambling, sports, public parks and so on.
Question: Where is the army of
indignant protesters in our schools and the larger society willing to storm the
barricades? Think on it. There will be
many more questions to come.
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Jane Remer has worked nationally for over
forty years as an author, educator, researcher, foundation director and
consultant. She was an Associate Director of the John D. Rockefeller 3rd Fund’s
Arts in Education Program and has taught at Teachers College,
and
and with the public schools and cultural organizations, spending significant
time on curriculum, instruction and collaborative action research with
administrators, teachers , students and artists. She directs the Capezio/Ballet
Makers Dance Foundation, and her publications include Changing Schools Through the Arts and Beyond Enrichment: Building
Arts Partnerships with Schools and Your Community. She is currently writing
Beyond Survival: Reflections On The
Challenge to the Arts As General
Education. A graduate of
she attended
and earned a masters in education from
Is the title a provocation, or a typo? Should it read “The Arts AS Pork” or “The Arts Are NOT Pork.” ?
And to answer the question of where are our armies:
I was in Albany last week to lobby for arts funding. I met with several staffers from different legislators’ offices, who listened politely and smiled and nodded. In the legislative office building’s hallways, though, I couldn’t help notice large teams of other lobbying groups: teachers union reps, health care workers, and others. From my very cursory observation, I could see these people were quite organized and meant business. I was jealous of their (ostensible) collective power.
We have many dedicated, well-intentioned people in the arts community working for advocacy (Americans for the Arts, NYS Alliance of Arts Orgs, etc.). But due to the uniquely fractured and freelance status of artists and arts organizations, I doubt we as arts professionals will ever develop armies of lobbyists or protesters. I wish it was otherwise, but I think it’s an inherent, albeit regrettable, element of the field.
Phil – “are” for how they were perceived by congress in the instance I cited, “as” to contrast with my “arts as education” phrases and beliefs….
My lament was not that the arts community hasn’t gotten it together (for a number of reasons worth investigating), but that the arts community and others who believe the arts are important in the general curriculum have not build a constituency in the schools and the communities — a constituency of principals, teachers, supervisors, parents, community leaders — who when the arts are inevitably dismissed, become champions for their place in teaching and learning…I think the arts community, however that may be defined, has failed miserably over the last close to 50 years to raise the kind of local champions we need ,,,,In short, the arts community alone protesting its fate is of course seen as self serving, and it has happened for so long, that hardly anyone pays attention any more…whatever the claims (e.g., competition in a global society, creativity and innovation, raising test scores, or as researcher Eva Baker used to say, doing everything you want except washing floors and windows….
Hope this clarifies my intent
Thanks!
Jane
You have hit the nail on the head as usual, Jane. We’re going to have to think of new and more visible ways to raise the alarm. In my 40 plus years as an arts educator/artist/grantswriter, I’ve never felt quite as close to the edge of the cliff as my colleagues and I do now. The arts are most definitely considered “pork” by some residents of this fairly enlightened community — but at the same time, there are more wonderful arts programs for audiences of all ages than ever before. Now, with schools cutting field trips to museums and concerts, and fewer people who can afford to buy tickets or make donations, arts budgets that are already so lean that there’s no fat to trim, it’s hard to find any silver lining. To have our esteemed senior Senator from NY vote in favor of this ridiculous amendment to the stimulus bill was the last straw. Which barricade do we storm?
Dear Ann – Good question! Which barricade, indeed. Perhaps this is a good topic to gather some arts and non arts troops around…any thoughts? As you know, I’m always one for action…
Best, always
Jane
Thanks for your clarification, Jane.
And to Ann’s question: which barricade to storm? I’ve always thought that the most effective battle is fought on multiple fronts, which is not only about being defensive, but offensive (as in football teams) as well. Yet, I wonder if that approach is too “sensible” when our adversaries are not sensible. The arguments against arts funding and arts education rely on out-dated rhetoric that utilizes fear-based arguments. Maybe we need to use fear-based arguments about the future of the country without arts?
Dear Jane-
Your writing is as thoughtful as ever, and has even more significance to me now as I have a young daughter entering the schools soon, and have been asked to guide curriculum for a local charter school in Maryland. I have been hoping to get back in touch with you, and I’m glad to see you are still a voice for the schools (and communities, and art educators..)to reckon with!