The Family and the Arts
Sixty years ago this fall, four boys found a cave near the village of Montignac in the Dordogne region of France. They carefully made their way down a steep shaft, and made one of the most important discoveries of the twentieth century—the cave paintings of Lascaux. Sprawled over the walls of the cave are almost 600 depictions—of bison, deer, horses, and other varieties of animals, but also some humans. Even by modern standards, the paintings are impressive for their beauty and sophistication. The artists employed a variety of brush techniques and used colorful paints made from crushed minerals and other natural substances, some of which seem to have been imported from hundreds of miles away. Modern scholars are still unsure of the exact purpose of the site, though many suspect some kind of spiritual or ritualistic gathering, perhaps in preparation for a significant hunt.
The paintings are important for any number of reasons, but perhaps most compelling is what they tell us about the place of art. Before permanent dwellings, before written languages even, humans communicated through artistic expression. A recent Brookings Institution report on the place of art in education begins, “Engaging with art is essential to the human experience.” For adults, creating art is associated with greater civic engagement, social tolerance, and appreciation of other perspectives. For children, the Brookings institution reports that increases in arts education strongly impacts children’s academic, social, and emotional outcomes. Students are more engaged in school, have more college aspirations, and tend to draw upon works of art to help them empathize with others. A study of preschoolers in Head Start programs even shows that exposure to art classes seemed to lower the presence of the stress hormone cortisol.
What is apparent in all of these is that art is crucial for personal development, but also very important for helping people connect with each other. Art can and should be a community activity, a personal activity, and a family activity. One extensive, 15-year study of struggling neighborhoods in Chicago found that the single, greatest factor in making one neighborhood healthier than another is what the researcher termed “collective efficacy”—“the capacity of people to act together on matters of common interest.” And when various members of a community come together artistically—through an arts fair, public art in open spaces, performances, music, or a variety of other methods—that community is increasing its “collective efficacy.”
One of the most significant things any family can do to be better connected in their community is to be engaged with the local arts. Whether attending a theater performance or a local symphony, visiting an art museum or photography exhibit, there are many, many ways your family can choose to participate in a local arts community. And the good news is, you don’t have to be “artsy” to appreciate art. Don’t enjoy modern art? That’s fine. Visit a sculpture garden or a watercolor show. Think classical music is boring? OK, start by listening to a local group playing something you do like, and then research that genre. Even food can be art. Visit a restaurant that serves something drastically different from what you may be used to. Take a cooking class. And invite your family along in all of these experiences. Even very young children can begin to appreciate some local art.
But as well as discovering ways that you can explore the local and community arts together, explore how you as a family can participate in creating art. For children, art is natural. Children grab crayons and begin scribbling on paper before they form sentences. They hum along to songs on the radio or sing to themselves while playing before they can learn a musical instrument. Come alongside your children in this process. With budget cuts endangering art programs in many schools, don’t assume they will get their arts education in the classroom. Rather, be intentional about exploring different forms of art and media with them—crayons, paint, colored pencils, maybe even charcoal. They can begin to understand the differences between paint and crayons even before they come to natural artistic milestones, like drawing human figures or beginning to understand perspective. Talk about what they are doing—these discussions build self-confidence, and promotes a sense of togetherness. Frame some of their art, and hang it on the walls. This, too, promotes a sense of family identity—what can be more identity-building than your own creations used as decoration? Music is another good way to enjoy art together as a family. If you or your partner sings or plays an instrument, so much the better. But even if not, you can have a playlist of family favorites, and add to it over time. Consider devoting different playlists to different experiences—road trips, for example, or a Saturday-morning pancake-making. Having music as a background serves to give these family rituals greater meaning.
Whatever the method you choose, remember that your family is the first place to begin exploring art together. The books you read, pictures you color, movies you watch, and music you enjoy can all be a part of your artistic journey, especially if done intentionally. Since the days of the cave paintings of Lasaux, humankind has come together as a community over the creation of art. Make your family the first community where this happens, and then explore how your family’s community can begin to engage in the larger community around you.