Art and Education in an Innovation Economy

According to Business Week Magazine: “The game is changing … it isn't just about math and science anymore (although those are surely important disciplines) it's about creativity, imagination, and, above all, innovation." 1

If creativity and innovation will be the hallmarks of the most successful communities in the 21st century we need to know the answers to the fundamental questions of what makes us creative, innovative, and imaginative.

The effort to create a 21st century community is not so much about technology as it is about jobs, dollars and quality of life. It is about organizing one's community to reinvent itself for the new, knowledge economy and society; preparing its citizens to take ownership of their community; and, most importantly, about educating the next generation of leaders and workers to meet the global, social, political and economic challenges we face.

This commentary focuses on education and the vital role of the arts in preparing our young people for a new and uncertain future.

Although many people still believe that the arts “are nice but not necessary,” it is becoming increasingly apparent that the arts are not a frill or an ancillary enrichment activity for elites. Indeed, they may be the most important aspect of a 21st century education. Our schools need the arts and an art-infused curriculum to ensure our children’s’ and our country’s competitiveness in the new global innovation economy.