Art reflects culture, and culture influences children’s views of the world around them. If children live with beauty and stimulating images around them, they will learn to be perceptive to beauty in their world. If they are taught to express themselves through art, allowing their thoughts and emotions to be conveyed outwardly through paint, clay, pencils, or other media, they will learn to allow their emotions to flow outward in a healthy manner that benefits their surrounding family and culture. Certainly there is much to be gained by exposing children to art in its many forms and encouraging them to explore their own involvement in different venues.

There is a caution, however. Children can easily be overwhelmed by too many choices, too much material, and too wide a circle of opportunity. Their minds perceive a slightly smaller circle than an adult’s mind, and their exposure should be geared to feed their curiosity, not bombard them with more than they can take in at once. Every great adult artist was once a curious child. That’s a good point to remember.

Past generations employed greater standards of propriety in many ways than our modern American culture dictates. Art was expected to convey not only beauty and meaning, but also nobility, respectfulness, and often an air of something to be achieved. Peaceful contemplation was a frequent theme in portraits, and rolling landscapes filled quiet halls with calming images. Today, artists embrace life’s realities with perhaps more artistic license, bringing a grit and sometimes an unsettling nature to their pieces. These may not always please every art show attendee, but they are truly art, nonetheless.

Art is a creative reflection of life, simply stated, and thus its definition is ambiguous. Perhaps it should remain that way.