The arts are worth studying simply because of what they are. The arts are used to achieve a multitude of human purposes: to present issues and ideas, to teach or persuade, to entertain, to decorate or please. Becoming literate in the arts helps students understand and do these things better.

What are four reasons why arts education is important?
To understand civilization, develop creativity, learn communication tools, and develop the capacity for making wise choices among the products of the arts.

How do the Arts strengthen academic performance?
Because the arts stress creative thinking and analytical skills, students with a strong background in the arts are more likely to perform academically than peers who do not.

What makes the Arts important to the education of a student?
The arts enhance students' creativity and increase creative thinking and problem-solving. The arts are integral to human development in dimensions such as the use of both hemispheres of the brain, the development of cognitive, affective, and psychomotor skills and learning styles. The arts enable students to acquire aesthetic judgment, a skill that enhances daily life and affects individual choices. The arts improve the school atmosphere, improve student attendance, and decrease the dropout rate. Finally, the arts provide students a better cross-cultural understanding through knowledge of civilizations and cultures past and present.

How do the Arts assist with local economic development?
The arts are a part of the local economic base, providing jobs and income to residents. The arts industry is the single most significant source of amenities that favors the central city economy as a location. Artistic and cultural activities and institutions can be decisive factors attracting and retaining talented people. The arts can provide the ethnic and cultural glue for neighborhood identity and cohesion - an intangible element of neighborhood revitalization.