Contact: Jenny Urbanek-Atkinson
waeaadvocacy1@gmail.com 

"The future belongs to young people with an education and the imagination to create."-President Barack Obama


"How can we turn our back on an endeavor which increases our children's cultural intelligence, heightens individual sensitivity and deepens our collective sense of humanity? I suggest to you that we cannot."–Alec Baldwin at Arts Advocacy Day 1997

What is Art Advocacy?

Art Advocacy is an essential aspect of art education. As professional art educators it is our responsibility to make others understand the essential value that visual arts education holds for learners. Have you taken time to enlighten anyone about the importance of a visual arts education? Who needs to hear your voice? Administrators? Parents? Other educators? School Board members? Local Legislators?

Advocacy Made Simple
https://www.arteducators.org/advocacy/articles/51-advocacy-made-simple

How do you advocate for your program?

What advocacy resources have you used?

What’s your best advocacy advice?  

5 Points for Advancing Art EducationPositive changes in art education require not merely advocacy, but leadership. Leadership inside classrooms, schools, and within the larger context of art education can forward the status of the field. Advancing the field requires an ongoing process of learning and renewal for the art educator.
  1. Every conversation counts: Whether your art program is robust or sparse, YOU are the sole representative of the entire field of art education. Always represent the depth, quality, and rigor of what you do every day. Ambassadorship is a full time job!
  2. Stay aware of the values of every audience: Communicate the importance of art education to in a way that appeals to the values of others.
  3. Develop parent and business community partners: Visibility and professional connections within the community can sustain your programming, lead to additional funding, and support local businesses. Parent involvement, properly organized, can also help elevate your status in the community.
  4. Remember your context: Leadership and advocacy should be sensitive to contextual factors. Challenging context norms without a track record of collaboration and success can be perceived as insensitive and out of touch.
  5. Be an exemplary teacher: Although the visual arts content is unique, good teaching and learning is easily recognized in any content area. There are many perceptions about art education classrooms, all of which you can challenge by demonstrating student learning, sharing well-articulated lesson plans, and structuring an enriching learning experience for students everyday. Involvement in your professional organization and pursuing advanced studies in the field of art education can afford you additional support.​

What Does Advocacy Mean to You? Help Us Out By Completing the Survey

Survey on Advocacy

Advocacy Resources and Inspiration

Stand For The Arts is a national initiative to raise awareness, protect access, and encourage action on behalf of the arts.

http://standforthearts.com/

Did You Know Art Makes Students Smarter

Check out this link for a study on how students can gain valuable critical thinking skills just by studying art. 

http://nyti.ms/17Q4EYp

http://www.fastcocreate.com/3023094/science-says-art-will-make-your-kids-better-thinkers-and-nicer-people

National Art Education Association

National Art Education Association eNews on Arts Advocacy is available as a PDF file.  Click the image to the right to download the file.

Why We Need Arts Education​

This is a fantastic resource of info graphics documenting why the arts are important.  These also highlight the benefits of arts education for students.  
http://issuu.com/americans4arts/docs/afta_navigator_facts-and-figures?e=9521660%252F9319469

Here Are Some Fantastic Links and Resources