She molded the clay into the ideas deep within her mind and made them a reality.

Many artists believe that going on an artistic journey makes a difference both inside and outside of the classroom. Patty Costello, an art teacher at Hershey High School, and Abby Harris, HHS senior, have been impacted by this journey.

Because of what she has experienced in her life, Costello believes art can be mentally beneficial.

“Art could potentially teach kids to think creatively and problem solve in different ways,” said Costello.

Many studies have supported Costello’s opinion. According to the National Endowment For The Arts, low income students with a background in art earn higher grades and are more likely to go to college compared to low income students with little to no arts involvement.

Harris has experienced the benefits of art first hand. She said art is what motivates her to work on her academics and finish homework. In addition, Harris believes she’s able to push through the parts of school day that she doesn’t enjoy because she loves art.

Harris said, “If I get this [homework] done, I get to do my art project.”

She also thinks it teaches students how to deal with criticism and judgement from their peers. Harris had to get critiques for Art Foundations one and Art Foundations two. According to Harris, that feedback allowed her to grow as an artist and as a person.

“There is always judgment, and you can see it in people’s eyes.” said Harris.

Harris believes that learning how to take criticism and use it to get better can be applied anywhere.

Costello has a different idea of what students get out of the class. She thinks art class helps students with the “hiccups” in life. According to Costello, art teaches students to be flexible and to problem solve. Students can also gain skills that don’t fall under the category of art.

“I’m more than just your teacher, I’m your life coach.” said Costello.

Costello added that art classes can improve focus as well. When Costello was in school, art was the only place where she could focus on one thing for a long period of time. She now makes an effort to apply this skill to everyday tasks.

Although there is evidence that art is beneficial, art programs are usually the first programs to be cut out of schools. Chicago Public Schools (CPS) are one of many examples of this occurrence. According to www.thinkprocess.org due to a budget cut, 1,000 teachers ended up losing their jobs. Ten percent of those teachers were art or music teachers.

Costello said that it is a shame that art programs are being taken out of school curriculums, but it is a necessary evil for some schools to continue running.

She encourages people to take an art or music class, because there are some people without that opportunity. Harris agrees on this front. They both believe that art is a class with importance and value.

“Even if it’s [taking art] out of your comfort zone, I think there is so much to get out of it. You just need to have an open mind” said Costello.