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Why ART.
Often, academic intelligence is revered above creative intelligence. While academics are vital, creativity builds resilience and the appreciation of failure. Failure is essential to success. Honestly ask yourself, has every attempt you have made been successful? I know mine have not. Creativity through art helps us become comfortable with failure, but most importantly, with how to overcome, reassess, and try again. It had taken me many years and much heartache to finally realize what a powerful tool creative intelligence is.
Art fosters critical thinking, persistence, and time management skills. Using a student-centered learning approach in a studio-like environment allows students to experience the struggles and successes of the art-making process through an artist's eyes. Students learn to become active problem finders and solvers, develop self-monitoring and redirection skills, and develop creative thinking skills through collaboration. All while giving students ownership over their artmaking. It is truly magical.
“The true purpose of arts education is not necessarily to create more professional dancers or artists. [It's] to create more complete human beings who are critical thinkers, who have curious minds, who can lead productive lives."
- Kelly Pollock
Me.
My name is Madelyn Kelley. I obtained my Bachelor of Fine Arts from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP). During this time, I had priceless opportunities to expand my creative experiences. One of these allowed me to become the President of the Student Art Association, which led to my internship at The Bottle Works Ethnic Art Center in Johnstown, PA. During that time, I returned to IUP to pursue an Art Education degree. Later, earning a Master's in Art Education from The Art of Education University.
I now have the coolest job in the world, a high school art teacher in a student-centered, studio-like classroom where students think and act like artists.