The Art of Learning

Written by Bakersfield Magazine

Have you ever thought about how you appreciate a painting? How you absorb the notes and lyrics of a song?

Probably not. Neither of these acts are conscious on our part; we simply look at the painting and listen to the song and come away feeling moved. But for most of us, our responses to art come from a long life of exposure. We learned to mix colors in kindergarten, we had the chance to sing songs and play instruments in elementary school, and we were exposed to famous works of art and their cultural significance in high school and college. The arts were all around us. And we were lucky.

Whether or not we went on to a career in the arts, most of us have some knowledge in the universal form of expression known as “the arts.” It could be that you enjoy painting as a hobby. You crochet or knit in your spare time. You play drums in a garage band with your buddies. You may not recognize it as such, but what you’re doing is art.

That fact is something the Arts Council of Kern is working so hard to bring to the city’s attention.

“Artwork has been telling the story of civilization for centuries,” Jeanette Richardson Parks explained. “Without the arts, we wouldn’t be able to understand ancient societies, or even know our own history.”

As the director for the Arts Council of Kern, Parks is passionate about many things when it comes to art in our community. Her mission is to expose Bakersfield and Kern County to the best and brightest artists around in order to enrich our lives. At the forefront of that mission is bringing art back to children. That’s why many of the programs instituted by the Arts Council of Kern involve children’s art sessions and workshops. And recently, the Arts Council became the Kern County affiliate for the Young Audiences Arts4Learning.

“The main goal of this partnership is to use the arts to teach literacy in our area,” Parks elaborated. “We found out that if we don’t take art into the schools, children aren’t getting any exposure to it at all.”

And that exposure is important. According to the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, high school students who take arts classes have higher math and verbal SAT scores than students without arts classes. Those scores can determine a student’s chances at higher education.

“Art is a core curriculum,” Parks stressed. “It is a subject that is highly engaging for children. It can keep them excited about learning; it can keep them in school.”

Not to mention the fact that art is a wonderful medium for children who have developmental disabilities or those who have suffered a traumatic experience.

“We’ve seen children who are unwilling or unable to talk communicate through art. They’ll draw or paint how they’re feeling.”

However, current funding problems are inhibiting the way teachers can include art in their present curriculum. That is why Parks and the entire staff at the Arts Council works so hard to raise money for arts education in our community. The reasoning behind the cuts, while important, is not what Parks is trying to fight directly. Rather, she is urging people to understand the importance of the arts in schools, so they will seek to keep them alive.

“Art is invaluable to learning. We’re hearing this not only from institutes and organizations, but from school teachers in Bakersfield and the entire county,” Parks explained. “We put on an assembly in Taft for some special education students and afterward, teachers came up to us and said they hadn’t seen the students that engaged the entire year.”

That type of success can’t be ignored.

That’s why the success of Arts Council fund-raisers are so critical to the furthering of art education in our community. While art programs are being cut from schools, the Arts Council is doing what it can to bridge that gap.

“We understand that budgets are tight,” Parks said. “And we agree that No Child Left Behind is good, but art is such an important subject. It shouldn’t be dropped.”

So the Arts Council has created special events to gather funds so that it can deliver some of those art programs back into our schools. Even if it’s only enough money to provide children with art supplies, to hire a musician to play for a classroom, or to teach students basic color patterns.

One of their biggest events is ARTini. No doubt you’ve heard about it. This past November saw the second annual celebration of art and community. Not only were local bartenders asked to create a signature martini, but local artists were asked to submit martini-inspired art. At the end of the decadent evening, filled with martini tastings and delectable hors d’oeuvres, a winning martini was selected and the fabulous works of art were auctioned off. Attending these types of events is just one way members of the community can actually make an impact.

That’s all Parks and the Arts Council of Kern ask; that members of our community step up to help continue bringing art back into the classroom, where it can help to enrich the lives of Kern County’s youngest citizens. Because it is sorely needed. At one summer program, Parks recalls her shock when a third-grader expressed not knowing what two colors mixed together make green.

“The importance of exposing children to art and allowing them to express themselves through art is so huge. Exposure to art has been linked with critical thinking skills in children and young adults. And it’s such a simple thing to do. I urge all parents to bring their kids to our free galleries.”

With a focus on access, advocacy, and education, the Arts Council of Kern has seen that there is a need in our community—and they’re doing their best to fill that. All they need now is a little help.

Just remember how you felt the first time you saw a certain painting, or the first time you heard a song that touched you. Now think about how amazing it will feel if you can help give that experience to a child.

If you’d like more information on Arts Council of Kern programs, or are interested in becoming a member, call them at (661) 324-9000 or visit kernarts.org.

Article appeared in our 26-6 Issue - February 2010