Arts Education: Motivations, Benefits and Realities of Educational Programs from the Perspective of Professional Arts Organizations

• Main Author: Miller, Lorena Janey
• Other Authors: Theatre Arts
• Format: Others
• Published: Virginia Tech 2014
• Subjects: partnerships; schools; non-profit
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/34039; http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-07172000-15070002/

In 1880, the 46th US Congress requested the first federal study of the state of arts education. A two-volume report, of almost 2,000 pages, was written by Issac Edwards Clarke and submitted in 1885. Titled Art and Industry: Education in the Industrial and Fine Arts in the United States, it stated, "The wide spread interest and activity [of the arts] gives promise of an important development in the art productions of the United States." <p>Now, over a century later, the expansion of arts continues. A most recent development is the growth of arts education programs within professional producing/presenting organizations. <p>The purpose of this study is to understand the motivations, benefits and realities of educational programs from the perspective of a professional producing/presenting arts organization. More specifically, what has enticed these organizations to create and sustain educational programs? Are these programs viewed as an extension of outreach, or as a program to serve their mission, or for reasons unstated? <p>Research was collected in Charlotte, NC, a community with diverse arts organizations, many of whom support educational programs. The school district also has a strong arts education programming. Nine arts organizations and three supporting organizations were selected for direct interviews. Each interview was conducted in the same manner, based on five questions. <p>This research reveals that arts organizations are proactive and have created valuable educational experiences for their community, but many organizations are doing a disservice to their core beliefs by not defining the value the educational program provides for the organization. === Master of Fine Arts