me arts ed

Hopes for America

Two articles written by Jocelyn Noveck and Marlina Davis respectively, recently appeared on the AP and included information on President and Mrs. Obama’s beliefs about the arts and education.

The First Lady was in New York City not to long ago to tour federal agencies. While there she stopped into the Metropolitan Museum of Art to help re0pen its new American wing. Mrs. Obama said that she and the president “hope to give America’s children better access to the arts”.

When being introduced the First Lady was reminded that she and the President went to a museum on their first date. She went on to say “The arts are not just a nice thing to have or to do if there is free time or if one can afford it. Rather, paintings and poetry, music and fashion, design and dialogue, they all define who we are as a people and provide an account of our history for the next generation.”

The same evening, the first lady went to the American Ballet Theatre’s spring gala at the Metropolitan Opera House along with Caroline Kennedy and addressed the audience with “learning through the arts reinforces critical academic skills in reading, language arts and math and provides students with the skills to creatively solve problems.”

President Obama has proposed a policy to increase federal support for the arts that include additional funds for the National Endowment of the Arts and efforts to expand partnerships between schools and arts organizations. The First Couple believes “arts education is essential for building innovative thinkers who will be our nation’s leaders for tomorrow.”

If the First Lady came to your school what would you want to say to her about arts education? Please add your comment here!