By Harper Hinkle ‘28
Historically, art has always been separated from other academics. However, no matter our preconceived notions, art has repeatedly proven itself to be an integral and undoubtedly necessary part of education.
Art integration is a broad term with many definitions, but it is a teaching method that consists of “academic” content being taught through the understanding and the analysis of art; a curriculum could participate in art integration by offering courses like art history, theater, film, and even creative writing. A recent and more profound example is the acronym STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) being changed to STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) in 2012, a change that was proposed by the United States National Research Council.
Art integration has proven successful over and over by studies done across educational platforms to improve student performance. For example, the Institute for Arts Integration and STEAM reported a 10% (or more) increase in student achievement when schools intentionally integrate arts into their curriculum.
St. Andrew’s offers many classes and electives that align with art integration, including, but not limited to, Creative Writing, Independent Study in the Visual Arts, AP Music Theory, and Honors Art History (which is offered to 11th and 12th graders). Ms. Anderson, who has taught Honors Art History for two years, said she doesn’t think of art as separate from academics. “It’s a crucial piece of academics,” said Anderson.
Classes such as Art History allow students to learn about the intersections of art, philosophy, archeology, and history, going beyond just learning about the style of brush strokes and visuals. Art classes like these are crucial to the learning process and contribute to the well-roundedness of students’ learning.