At L-S, over 20 of the offered courses count towards students’ art credits for their graduation requirements, even disregarding the listed music classes. But for some reason, many students end up groaning about their fine arts classes. People will double enroll in a core subject just for the sake of avoiding an arts class. Naturally, not everyone has an affinity for visual arts, but it is still surprising to see how many people overlook the countless benefits of all L-S fine arts has to offer. As a school with many STEM oriented students, it is understandable that double enrollment classes seem preferable to the more technical art classes, but arts classes can strongly support your endeavors in outside pursuits in more ways than you think.
With many L-S students interested in medical professions, something that is imperative for people dreaming of being surgeons or dentists is infallible fine-motor skills. It is safely assumed that no one wants a brain surgeon with a shaky hand or a nurse to mutter “oops” as they draw your blood. For a flawless performance on the piano, you practice for hours and hours. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to practice surgery as a high-schooler. An incredible way of training your fine-motor skills is to practice painting, drawing, woodworking, ceramics, or jewelry making, all of which have corresponding classes offered at L-S. On top of this, making art can improve your hand eye coordination. L-S has a huge percentage of student athletes, many of whom use this skill in their sport. Fine arts classes are a great way to supplement your abilities outside of training.
Additionally, art classes greatly promote observational skills. Classes such as drawing or painting force you to become intentional about composition. They compel you to hone in on the tiny details (a wrong angle here, a missed shade light there). The improvement of observational skills allows you to be more efficient in recognizing issues around you in order to problem solve quickly, as well as improving your social skills. Observation enhances your ability to pick up on subtle social cues and allows you to adapt to these tiny changes.
Furthermore, creating visual art is shown to alleviate anxiety. We’ve all heard the concerning stats from the Metrowest Health Survey, quoted by teachers around the school. It’s obvious the students at L-S are stressed. There is a wealth of evidence proving that doing art can soothe your stressed brain. It’s a great way to utilize your time too because rather than adding on a new time commitment during your time to catch up on homework, study for SATs, or do a whole number of other things, it’s a nice break in the middle of your day to catch your breath during class, focus on the task in front of you, and give your mind a much needed reprieve.
For those of you who are still not convinced that it’s worth your time, art skills are another thing to put on your resumés. It can show that you are a creative person who can analyze issues from different perspectives and bring passion to the things you do. Taking an art class at L-S that you normally wouldn’t try can create endless new opportunities for yourself, so be open and excited to approach your next course!\
Some of the visual arts courses at L-S offered are: Ceramics, Metalsmithing, Woodworking, Painting, Drawing, Graphic Design, Digital Imaging, Digital Photography, B/W Film Photography, Video Production, Filmmaking and more. Sign up today!
