Charles Fowler was one of our nation’s most passionate and articulate advocates for arts education. I had the privilege of hearing him speak many years ago and his spirit and wisdom continue to inspire me.–Kim Wheetley
THE NECESSITY OF THE ARTS
“The arts are necessary in our schools because they:
– Teach us divergent, rather than convergent thinking.
– Develop craftsmanship and the ability to apply aesthetics.
– Introduce us to perceptions and understandings we could not acquire in any other way.
– Provide us with insight and wisdom that enlighten our understanding, making it deeper and more comprehensive.
– Facilitate human communication within and across cultures.
– Help us define who we are and how to articulate our own special sense of being.
– Distinguish our relationship to time by showing us as we were yesterday, as we are today, and as we can be tomorrow.
– Chronicle through the visual image, music, dance and drama of the moment, some of humankind’s greatest achievements.
– Replenish our spirit and, by nurturing, consoling, and inspiring it, restore our humanity.”
Charles Fowler, Strong Arts, Strong Schools: The Promising Potential and Short Sighted Disregard of the Arts in American Schooling. Oxford University Press, 2001