General Motors
Providing support for the statewide arts education survey report is further evidence of our strong commitment to the arts in Michigan. At GM, we understand how important the arts are in preparing the students of today to become the creative and innovative workforce of tomorrow. Roderick D. Gillum Vice President, Corporate Relations and Diversity General Motors
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Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs
The Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs serves to preserve and enhance the cultural well-being of Michigan. To that end, the Council has made arts education an integral component of our mission and one of our chief priorities. Today, our state's educational system, teachers, students, parents, and communities face tremendous challenges ranging from lower than expected student achievement, high-stakes testing and accountability, to violence and other societal concerns. In addition, school districts and taxpayers continue to be faced with difficult decisions regarding distribution of resources as we move further into the 21st century. Those of us who have been actively engaged in the arts and arts education understand the significant impact the arts can have on student participation and achievement, parental involvement, community cohesion and other global issues that affect society as a whole. Yet, when addressing these difficulties, some view the arts as "extra curricular" and somehow less significant than traditional core subject areas. But anyone who has benefited from an education rich in arts and culture, knows they are absolutely crucial to the intellectual, emotional, and personal development of our youth. Over 10,000 studies have been published supporting the impact of the arts in areas from brain development to math and reading skills. However, not since 1989 had any survey been done to give us baseline information regarding the status of the arts within our state's educational system. Now, through a partnership that united the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, the Michigan Department of Education, and ArtServe Michigan there is a new tool ... Arts Alive: The 2001 Survey Report on the State of Arts Education in Michigan Schools Grades K-12. This significant document gives us concrete statistics from public and private schools throughout Michigan, which can better equip the entire state to improve arts education in our schools. The future for arts education in Michigan is encouraging but there is always more work to be done. Great things can happen for Michigan students when arts and culture are an essential part of their education. The importance of arts education and the information gathered in this report cannot be overstated. I therefore call on school board members, school administrators, teachers, students, and communities to seek new opportunities to incorporate the arts in our everyday lives. If we work together to harness our abundant creativity and the cultural resources of this great state's artists, symphonies, museums, libraries, and a multitude of other arts and cultural entities, an incredible education for our youth and a higher quality of life for all citizens in Michigan will be readily achievable. Betty Boone Executive Director Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs

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