Creative Arts Integration

The creative arts are essential components of human development. All four of the major arts disciplines can be traced back, in some way or form, to the behaviors of our prehistoric ancestors, and the roots of these arts stem from within our evolutionary history (Morriss-Kay, 2009). The arts also provide a 'human' element to education in that they teach children creativity, emotional and self-expression, civility, and other important factors for a positive and functional society (Jensen, 2001). They also promote motivation, confidence, and teamwork, as well as more quantifiable factors such as critical thinking skills, gains in math and reading, verbal expression, and problem-solving (Smith, 2009).  This provides strong support for including arts education in schools. Arts integration is the process of blending arts disciplines and traditional content. In doing so, students use one of the disciplines (act out, draw, sing, etc.) to demonstrate their knowledge in way that is creative and meets the objectives of both the arts discipline and the traditional content area (Silverstein & Layne, 2010).

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Important Visual Features

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Two break-dancers in Marion Square

Dance & Kinesthetic Arts

The kinesthetic arts most famously include dance, but also include other dramatic arts such as mime or choreography industrial arts such as sculpting and wood-working, and recreational arts such as sports or active games (Jensen, 2001).

Dance

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Musical Arts

The musical arts include singing, music production, composition, playing instruments, reading music, and more (Jensen, 2001).

Music

Photo via Girls Rock Charleston, cropped for size.

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Photo via Pure Theatre.

Theatrical Arts

The theatrical arts, a sub-type of performing arts and sometimes grouped with dance and the kinesthetic arts, include expression such as drama/theatre, musicals, and other dramatic arts (Jensen, 2001).

Theatre

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Visual Arts

The visual arts include illustration, costume design, film-making, painting, graphic design, photography, set design, and more (Jensen, 2001).

Visual Arts

Mural on the College Lodge Residence Hall on Calhoun Street

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Jensen, E. (2001). Arts with the brain in mind. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Morriss-Kay, G. (2009). The evolution of human artistic creativity. Journal of Anatomy, 216(2), 158-176. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7580.2009.01160.x
Silverstein, L., & Layne, S. (2010). Defining Arts Integration. Arts Edge, 1-10.
​Smith, F. (2009, January 28). Why Arts Education Is Crucial, and Who's Doing It Best. Retrieved December 10, 2015, from http://www.edutopia.org/arts-music-curriculum-child-development

Last updated: 01/2016