MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT

The Benefits of Arts Education.

Every person experiences the magic of contemplating a work of art differently, as art offers unlimited possibilities for interpretation and for emotional resonance. The word “einfühlung”, which closely translates to “empathy”, was first used in the field of Aesthetics before it was adopted in Psychology, to describe the interrelatedness between an artist and his or her audience. The original meaning of the word empathy signifies the reciprocal, mirroring, and emotional experience of contemplating a work of art. The secret to the magic of art and the impact that it has on us may lie in the fact that it is ultimately a human activity, and its humanness celebrates the very best of our past and present cultural environments. Art is purposeful, preserving our history, enhancing our senses, communicating ideas and social commentary, and celebrating the beauty and importance of life.

The creative process that generates works of art is of inordinate importance and should be nurtured. The nine Charter Members and the International Advisers of Children Art Foundation passionately believe that by promoting and enhancing arts education children will benefit in their emotional and cognitive development. Among our Board Members are experts in Pedagogy and Child Development, and our definitive opinion is that encouraging the creative process of children will result in more empathic interpersonal connections in adulthood.

We at Children Art Foundation also believe that ready access to early childhood art education results in the development of better problem solving skills throughout life by fostering the process of creative thinking. Although all children’s art is captivating and ultimately beautiful, not all children will grow up to become artists. Nevertheless, a solid emphasis on early arts education will have a positive impact of fueling intuitive and creative thinking, flexibility of thinking, tolerance, and open mindedness as individuals pursue their future professions and avocations in life, whichever these may be.

Children Art Foundation is a nonprofit organization that fully supports the National Standards for Arts Education developed by the Consortium of National Arts Education Associations. Our programs will honor these guidelines in our collaborative efforts with schools in New York. The Standards are:

1. Understanding and applying media, techniques and processes. By experimenting with different media and techniques students can communicate ideas, experiences, and cause different responses.

2. Using knowledge of structures and functions. Students learn the purposes of art and how to convey ideas through expressive features and organizational principles.

3. Choosing and evaluating a range of subject matter, symbols, and ideas. This is done in order to effectively communicate meaning through works of art.

4. Understanding the visual arts in relation to history and cultures. Students learn that the visual arts have both a history and specific relationships to various cultures.

5. Reflecting upon and assessing the characteristics and merits of their work and the work of others. Students learn to tolerate different responses and are encouraged to respond to artworks with flexibility of opinion.

6. Making connections between the visual arts and other disciplines. Students make connections between the arts and other disciplines and learn about relatedness and interconnectedness.

Children Art Foundation will assist schools in the process of helping students develop skills of observation, dexterity, interpretation, appreciation and creation of works of art. By doing this, children will become familiar with creative thinking as a way to adapt to the complexity of our world. It is our belief that arts education is not only essential for all the reasons stated herein, but is also a joyful journey, infusing our children with an added level of enthusiasm about their schools and education that will endure into their future development.

César A. Alfonso
President