World Art Day 2021

World Art Day was declared by the International Association of Art (IAA/AIAP), a partner of UNESCO, to celebrate the arts and promote awareness of creativity worldwide. The first World Art Day celebration took place on April 15, 2012, and the first United States celebration was held on the same date in 2015 in Los Angeles. April 15 was chosen for this international celebration in honor of "Renaissance man" Leonardo da Vinci's birthday. 

On this day, many people show their appreciation for the value art has added to their lives by visiting museums, attending live performances, or making art and creative projects of their own. In the past, Los Angeles hosted Art Day Games, featuring songwriting contests and poetry slams. In Accra, the capital city of Ghana, the day was honored in 2019 by cleaning up the Arts Center and inviting artists to paint murals on the walls of Kimbu Senior High School.

ARCK believes that human connections are rooted in creativity. Now more than ever, people turn to the arts to connect with each other, cope and heal through stressful and uncertain times, and freely express themselves. An arts education is also fundamental to a young person’s personal, artistic, and academic development, as students develop the critical thinking, social-emotional, and interpersonal skills needed to thrive in a complex world. Particularly in an era of remote learning for students deeply impacted by the pandemic, the arts are a vital outlet for self-expression and connection, and an avenue for them to develop confidence and realize their full potential.

This day is often a celebration of the vast impact art has in our lives, both individually and as a global community. Today, we want to draw attention to why supporting the arts is more imperative than ever before. It is no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted our economy, and the arts & culture sector specifically has been hit hard due to public health related closures. While funding the arts in public schools has also been a longtime fight, U.S. state governors now expect to cut school budgets by $400 billion, and arts programs are expected to see a significant portion of those cuts. According to Americans for the Arts, 91% of American believe that arts are part of a well-rounded K-12 education. 

We do not want to lose sight of this, even in the face of the adversities brought on by the pandemic. Thom Knab, president of the National Art Education Association (NAEA) stated the value of arts education well in An Open Letter to Superintendents, Principals, and School Board Members: “During this pandemic, students of all ages have found much needed solace and support through the visual arts, as their teachers provide valuable remote learning opportunities. Students learn to create, respond to, and make connections to the visual world around them and rely upon the arts for social emotional learning, expression, and support.” This Social, Emotional, and Relational Awareness is embedded into ARCK’s programming, as we believe our students must feel safe, seen, and heard in order to learn. 

On this World Art Day, we encourage you to consider the profound impact art can have in the lives of all people regardless of their age, background, or where they live in the world.

Learn more about how ARCK brings arts and creativity to Boston’s under-resourced students, and help support us in this important work.