Every day, every single person engages with art in some way: the book you read, the song you heard in the car this morning, the picture of you and your friends on the wall. Some people see or hear it as they move through their environment throughout their day. Some people even make it themselves.
People can use school to learn how to make different forms of art that they enjoy. A study by Girija Kaimal, Kendra Ray and Juan Muniz shows that 45 minutes spent on an art form each day can significantly decrease a person’s cortisol levels and in turn their levels of stress.
“Art is a major outlet for students and with everything happening in the world around teens they need a place to put their fears, doubts, trials and tribulations,” Dexter High School art teacher Krickett Chamberlain said. “Otherwise without a creative outlet they are more likely to find more destructive ways to express themselves.”
Dexter students have access to a wide variety of art classes and programs that are not offered at the high school like digital photography, ceramics, jewelry making, illustration and interior design. They are able to have more classes because a larger number of students are interested in participating in them.
“You’ve got to look at our student enrollment and the number of people that are interested in these art programs,” principal Jeff Trapp said.
Because it is a required credit, many students find themselves in a fine arts class at some point in their high school career. The calmer environment of an art class can help students with feeling less stressed throughout their day.

“Art gives me a mental break from reality,” senior Arianna Place said. “It gives me time where I can just chill and I don’t have to worry about anything else.”
Having art classes exposes students to a more diverse pool of knowledge than the basic math or science classes that are often prioritized.
“It allows for student expression,” high school art teacher Jay Langone said. “If you don’t engage with the fine arts, you are missing a huge portion of knowledge and visual literacy. It helps students understand culture, history and diversity of ideas.”

The high school choir program is relatively large with 47 participants but the effect it has on students is similar.
“It’s nice to have a laid-back class where I still get to do something I love, like singing,” junior Abby Roberts said.
This year, only 17 students are involved in the high school band program.
“I’m a lot happier throughout the day because I get to hang out with my friends and make music,” junior Chloe Suter said. “It provides students with a creative outlet and people who share similar interests to them.”
With so few participants, it is hard for these programs to be funded adequately.
This year, the band program received $1,137 in addition to the money they are given for instrument repairs and other necessary purchases. The rest of the money they raise through their own fundraising efforts.
“Band does not have enough funding,” Suter said. “With so few people in the band, we hardly get the funding we need.”
Funding is based on participation and the cost of materials for each program.

“The funding is based on the number of students and how many students are in each program,” Trapp said. “The English department gets less money than the science department because the materials for science cost more than the materials for English.”
In recent years, the administration has increased the money provided to many of the elective programs. For example, the art and photo budget increased from $3,406 for the 2021-2022 school year to $5,592 for the 2022-2023 school year.
“When people are asking, they are usually getting approval because the budgets are very healthy right now,” superintendent Brian Friddle said.
Recognition factors into students’ willingness to participate in art-related activities.
“We encourage kids to get involved but it goes beyond just that,” Trapp said. “When kids see they’re being recognized for something, that draws other kids’ attention to it as well.”
Staff members have tried recognizing student achievement in the past through use of the morning announcements and the slideshows that play on screens throughout the school but feel that the best way to encourage students’ involvement is through other students.
“I truly feel that the student sections were some of the best this year,” Trapp said. “But why that was is because students just kind of started to take charge. It’s when students do it that it actually starts to catch ground.”