A Brief History of Art Education in American Public Schools

This mindset is similar to the cultural pushback of the early 1800s when art instruction was first introduced into the public school curriculum. From an industrial perspective, the arts didn’t make much sense. How was the skill of oil painting going to help when harvesting the fields? How was a self-portrait going to be useful in times of war? Although we may be able to come up with logical answers to these questions, people had a difficult time seeing past the rigid dichotomy that had formed between fine art and the "real world" at that time.

Unfortunately, students couldn’t pursue art for the sake of pursuing art just yet. Instead, art classes were viewed under a microscope and meticulously planned so they could “[discover] art talent for use in the industries,” according to a briefing done by the University of Chicago. It was a loophole of sorts, but arts advocates took what they could and ran with it. 

Beginning in 1821 and continuing for the next 40 years, art classes slowly became integrated into public schools in Baltimore, Philadelphia, Cleveland, and a few other eastern cities. Massachusetts was the first state to officially bring art into its education system, with provisions for art instruction making it into its laws in 1870.

Again, with the work force in mind, the classes were structured around how the arts could contribute to the industry. To produce reliable architecture, the art of design had to be taught. Drawing was introduced with the intention of its usage in documentation and the exportation of goods. 

For children, art instruction improved hand-eye coordination and the expression of ideas, which ultimately aided their performance in other, seemingly "more important" subjects. 

Nearing the end of the 1800s, the quality and accessibility of paper, paints, and other art materials improved significantly, leading to a growth in the number of art classes available. Swinging from one extreme to the other, as more and more classes spread into the system, teachers and students alike were now trying to cover all the bases of the fine arts within a limited number of classes– an overwhelming, and nearly impossible, task.

In between the World Wars, this experimentation expanded, and it became more widely accepted to partake in the arts by way of creative means, not just for industrial benefits. This eventually led to the incorporation of arts studies in higher education as well.

Today, arts classes in public schools seem to have found a happy medium between the industrial arts and the fine arts, as they have become more than just creating. It’s a history lesson, an introduction to other cultures, and even a discovery of the self. 

Though the public education system may struggle to hold these classes at high priority due to budget constraints and other pushback, their positive impact on the student body and school community is not one to be overlooked.