Dana Gioia, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, has said,  “The real purpose of arts education is to create complete human beings capable of leading successful and productive lives in a free society”.  He also states that this is not happening now in American schools.

By investing in our childrens’ art education, we invest in their futures as well as that of our own.   Students participate in art for its uplifting effects. Regardless of their ability, students get pleasure and share ideas by participating in the artistic process.  Having the vision, then the opportunity to manifest one’s vision is an experience unique to humans.  Whether the chosen medium is visual, audio, spoken, or expressed through movement or moving images, the result is a product which communicates ideas, evokes feelings, provokes thought and reflection, or exists purely for its own intrinsic enjoyment.

At Virginia Beach Friends School we appreciate the innate capacity and desire of human beings to create.  As a reflection of our Quaker heritage, we value experiential learning.  These precepts strengthen our arts programs, which  foster individual awareness and entitle creative expression.  Being affected by the artistic experiences and traditions of others offers comfort and support for the idea that we are each responsible for humanity.