Position Statement

The arts have intrinsic value expanding the mind and elevating humanity to its highest level.

Arts Education enhances the qualities that lead to success in school.
• Research shows that students in arts programs consistently outperform other students in reading, vocabulary, language arts, and history.
• Arts education encompasses every learning style and can serve as the gateway to greater success in other academic subjects.
• There are valuable perceptual and performance concepts and skills to be learned by studying the arts, ways of thinking critically that cannot be learned by studying other subjects.
• The arts provide balance in education.

Arts Education develops workplace skills.
• Employers need workers who are analytical, disciplined, creative, and self-confident.
• Employers need workers who can solve problems, communicate ideas, work individually and as a team, and be sensitive to the world around them.
• Employers need workers who know the value of hard work and commitment over time.

Culture is no longer a frill. It is fuel...
• generating billions of dollars in economic activity,
• attracting people and businesses,
• revitalizing communities, and
• is at the core of a quality education.

Creative industries have a substantial effect on Missouri’s economy.
• directly generating over 69,000 jobs and
• producing $2.4 billion in labor income.