Funding for the arts in Arizona public schools continues to be low, but many other opportunities are available to the state’s youth to help inspire and grow their passion for creativity.

 

According to a 2010 census conducted by the Arizona Arts Education Research Institute and published by the Arizona Commission on the Arts, “55% of schools provide the required instruction in Music and Visual Art. 21% of schools reported no arts classes/courses for students.”

 

Even for the schools that reported having an arts curriculum, the census found that funding was still quite low, as “50% of schools reported a budget of $0 to curricular support in arts education. 79% reported spending less than $1 per-pupil per year or less than 1/2 of 1 cent per day” (Arizona Arts Education Research Institute, 2010). 

 

The census invited 409 school principals who represented 236,645 students to respond to a survey asking for information on the schools’ curriculum, instruction and funding.

 

While public schools may not be the best for arts education, other options are made available through private or charter schools and other institutes.

 

“I did choir when I was in high school which was super well funded,” said Zoe Nichols, a Glendale Preparatory Academy graduate and current Popular Music major at Arizona State University. “We had a bunch of awesome trips that we went on but choir is a lot different then song writing. I think that ASU definitely does a better job at encouraging that side of the arts, but I definitely did have support about music in general.” 

 

ASU provides many programs and opportunities to its college students, offering them exposure to and experience in different aspects of the arts. The Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, added to ASU’s program list in 2009, has since become instrumental in integrating arts education into the surrounding Phoenix area.

 

Christine Mackey, the Phoenix Director of Economic Development, discussed other options for arts education available outside of schools and highlighted how the Valley Youth Theatre has helped the city of Phoenix.

 

“They've had tremendous success with their program and I view that as a really fortunate thing [that] they've grown exponentially,” Mackey said. “They've produced some very talented actors out of their program.” 

 

Mackey also mentioned  how the arts and art-related institutions had been a major part of the Phoenix Revitalization Project by bringing in tourism to the area and growing small businesses. 

 

Participation in the arts has many other benefits outside of developing talent or simply creating hobbies. It creates opportunities to develop life skills that will help Arizona’s youth well into adulthood.

 

“Our mission is not really to do theater, our mission is to inspire children to be the best that they can be,” said Bobb Cooper, the producing Artistic Director of the Valley Youth Theatre. “And through the processes of what we do, we inspire children, we help them learn about responsibility, time management, teamwork, presentation, skills, accountability, responsibility, stick-to-itiveness and instilling a strong work ethic in our young people that have gone through our doors.”