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If you don’t deem yourself a particularly creative person, you may take for granted the ways in which creativity is crucial in our world.  Perhaps you see it as frivolous child’s play in which only a privileged part of the population can partake. But this couldn’t be further from the truth. The creative process is...

If you’re not familiar with the term visual literacy, you’re not alone. But as we continue to pummel through the 21st century, you’ll likely hear more about it. Especially in the context of academics. In a nutshell, visual literacy is the ability to create meaning from images. It’s an important skill in that it teaches...

With the exception of very young children, every creative person struggles to find inspiration on occasion. But finding inspiration at an arts-integrated school is comparatively easy. Why? Well, it’s tough to put a finger on just what inspiration is. But psychology defines it as motivation from an external source that sparks an idea and/or produces...

Are there benefits of creative writing that go beyond just expressing yourself? Well, yeah. One of the key objectives of educators at arts academy middle schools and high schools is to build a strong sense of community for the students so they feel they’re in a safe haven. And creative writing does just that. When...

The last time you walked through an art museum, did you notice any portrait artists embracing diversity?  Sure, you more than likely noticed a wealth of portraits hanging on the walls. And unless you were in a museum of contemporary art, many of them were probably commissioned by wealthy white patrons. The pieces themselves may...

Do you feel that you might have had better luck with world languages had you been given the option of learning a foreign language through art?  The truth is, most adolescents find that learning a foreign language is, at best, a challenging venture. For some, it can feel arduous and impossible. Plus, they’re self-conscious about...

The work of arts educators at schools and institutions that offer an arts-integrated curriculum is to teach the whole child. That means that despite the United States’ focus on science, technology, engineering, and math subjects (STEM), they believe that arts and academics should have equal weight. Their key focus isn’t on just creating a successful...

The notion of learning history through dance may seem odd. And perhaps it is. But at arts-integrated schools, it’s merely part of the curriculum. For many young folks, history feels like drudgery – memorizing dates and events without any real-world application. But educators at arts-integrated schools know the power of using the arts to teach...

Given the title of this post, you may be wondering if there even is a role of math in digital arts. How could that be? There’s math and then there’s art. They’re totally separate. Right? Not really. And the internet has been pivotal in expanding the relationship between math and art. The genesis and early...

The need for arts academy schools has been apparent for quite some time.  Long before there was such a wretched creature as COVID-19, schools were cutting back on arts education. Then this last year made matters even worse. During 2020-21, the arts in school have felt increasingly extracurricular. And for students, teachers, parents, and society at...