More than 60 fine arts teachers and organizations came to the State Capitol to advocate for the arts in education and incorporating fine arts in the Iowa Core Curriculum.
Opera great and Centerville native Simon Estes is an advocate for this approach. Now a professor at Iowa State University and Wartburg College, Estes has performed at of the world’s major opera houses for presidents, popes and other world leaders. He was part of the first generation of black opera singers to achieve widespread success and was instrumental in breaking down racial barriers in opera. Estes explained to legislators that the arts are a core educational experience for all students.
“Iowa is the best state, in my opinion,” Estes said. “We need to start here to provide access to the arts, music and painting to Iowa students to help them develop their God-given talent.”
According to the Iowa Alliance for Arts Education, the arts add value to the teaching of all other subjects, enriching personal experience, supporting a creative economy and developing cultural awareness. That makes the arts important in the training of our workforce, which requires creative thinkers and leaders. Quality arts education develops entrepreneurial skills and problem solving. It also engages diverse learners, including those who may be considered high risk.
“We have been concentrating on STEM—Science, Technology, Engineering and Math—for our future success as individuals and economies,” said UNI President Bill Rudd. “We should also talk about STEAM—adding the ‘A’ for Arts in that conversation.”
We have done much to increase reading and math scores, but education should focus on the whole child. Arts education is a great place to start.