Cutting the Arts
For budget reasons, the fine arts programs in schools are the first to get cut. Fine arts aren't the most popular activity in high schools. For elementary school, fine arts are something every student is able to express themselves and take a break from sitting in the classroom. Music and art classes aren't math or science but they are still a way that students can use their education to express themselves in a different way. Another reason why the fine arts are cut from schools is because of the lack of fine arts teachers. According to NeaToday, more than 1.3 million elementary students don't get any musical instruction and 4 million don't get visual arts instruction. Low income students who had the exposure to the fine arts programs were 74% more likely to earn a bachelors degree than low-income students who had little to none exposure to the fine arts programs.
In Detroit, appointed emergency financial manager for Detroit's public schools has a no problem cutting arts programs and firing fine arts teachers. According to George Shirley, "His plan includes the firing of all 70 art teachers and 38 out of 81 music teachers." By removing the arts programs from schools, there was hope of saving money and putting it to better use. |
Below is a slide show of the number of art and music teachers retiring or have gotten a pink slip (fired) in the summer of 2010. This mass amount of teachers leaving the public schools was thought to bring ease to the mass amount of debt that Detroit's public schools are dealing with.
Selling Art
While during such a difficult time in a major city, keeping the arts apart of the culture seems like the last thing to worry about. Through destruction and abandonment of buildings, a very significant one still remains. "The Detroit Institute of Arts is one of the few remaining jewels in Detroit's tattered identity." The Detroit Institute of Arts opened in 1888 as a private entity. In 1919, the museum and city signed an agreement that the city would rebuild, own and maintain a new building and all of the ownership of the art went to the city. Although the city has those rights over the art, the Institute is nonprofit so the public has a reasonable say in what happens. Kevyn Orr, Detroit's appointed emergency manger suggested to sell art from the Institute. Some of the art that he wanted to sell included pieces from Rembrandt and van Gogh. The Institute became involved in a fundraiser to raise enough money to help the city of Detroit pay the city's bills. The Institute was able to raise $100 million in the first 12 months.
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Below is a video that gives it's audience a look into the Detroit Institute of Arts. The video is a good way to look at the positives and all that the Institute is to the city of Detroit.