I have raised three Engineers. Nerds, Geeks, STEM loving kids. Despite their Engineering aptitude, they are also lovers of Art. When we first started talking about going to Europe several years ago, top of their list was the ability to see as much Art as possible. It is one of the reasons we chose the Mediterranean.
For those who are wondering, I am neither an Engineer nor an Artist. From the beginning of our educational journey though, we were determined to have well rounded kids. Kids well versed in History, Science, Math, Music and Art. So, we used a curriculum that had a good base of History, Science, Music and Art. Then, we followed our kids passions and interests and from the beginning they loved Art History and Art Appreciation.
I don’t think I had ever been to an Art Museum until we started “God and the History of Art”. In Denver, the Art Museum has free days during Spring Break and we started making that an annual tradition. When we went to Washington DC, their favorite day was the Art Museum at the Smithsonian, much to the chagrin of their, “Let’s spend all the time possible at the Space Museum” father. Outside of “God and the History of Art” the only thing I added in those early years was,
Lives of the Artists and Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists Series. The second link I borrowed from the library for book basket.
As the kids got to Middle School, my bff and partner in crime, who has a Minor in Art History, taught them in Co-Op and added, Artistic Pursuits. She encouraged them all to try their hand at art and did a great job of encouraging all of them that in trying the art projects, they would understand and appreciate art in a much deeper way. All three of mine took this to heart, but it was Caileigh who really soared and managed to get through the entire series by the end of high school and take an AP Art History Course.
I can see how much richer and deeper my kids lives are because of their appreciation of beauty and art. It gives them a depth that I see missing in other STEM kids. It also gives them a way to connect to others who might not be Engineers. I think music and art are universal languages that must be taught to kids.
