First lady says children need exposure to arts

[babylonsister]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gjP7WLFrXXZXir6U9TrR6HefSmKgD99L5S4O0

First lady says children need exposure to arts

By JOCELYN NOVECK (AP) – 19 hours ago


WASHINGTON — If you think your kids spend a little too much time on their laptops, take heart: Michelle Obama has the same problem.

The first lady made the rueful revelation as she feted the nation's top innovators and designers in fields as diverse as architecture, technology, fashion, and communications — winners of the annual National Design awards — at an East Room luncheon Friday.

"What would we do without our laptops?" asked Mrs. Obama, addressing one of the winners, Bill Moggridge, who designed the world's first laptop. "My kids would die," she said to laughter. "They'd be — they wouldn't make it through the summer. I don't know whether to thank you, Bill, for that."

snip//

Later at the White House, Mrs. Obama addressed guests that included executives from Google, Target and the Bravo TVnetwork, among many others, lunching on White House china from the Bush, Truman and Eisenhower administrations. She returned to an oft-stated theme: Kids need more than just a good education, they need exposure to the arts — and early.

"An educational foundation is only part of the equation," the first lady said. "In order for creativity to flourish and imagination to take hold, we also need to expose our children to the arts from a very young age."

She said Albert Einstein had it right when he said imagination is more important than knowledge. "We need to ensure that our children have both — knowledge and imagination. I know I want that for my girls. They deserve to have access to a good education and access to ideas and images that will spark their creativity."

She also spoke of her efforts "to break down barriers that too often exist between major cultural establishments and the people in their immediate communities."

"So we've been sending a lot of role models out there in the far reaches of this city and then inviting kids to come back here to the White House," she said. "That's been a big part of the messages of every single event that we've done here at the White House. These kids who are living just inches away from power and prestige and fortune and fame, we want those kids to know that they belong here, too ... and in the museums, and in libraries, and laboratories all over this country."

Dressed in a short-sleeved, bright canary yellow suit by Michael Kors, the first lady was also not above making a quip about the nation's obsession with her fashion choices.

"What I love about design is the artistic and scientific complexity that also becomes useful: A laptop, a bridge — an outfit," she said, pausing slightly to stress that last word, and drawing laughter. "A garden," she added. "All drawn from a thousand wells of inspiration and yet grounded in the basic principles of math or science."

[WCGreen]

1. Well, the teenage mutant turtles are Donatelo, Michaelangelo, Leonardo and

Raphael...

They are all dead artists.

What more does the First LAdy Want?

Socialized art schools.

[elleng]

8. How about access to art education in all schools,

art history AND art CLASSES. (Includes music/dance.)

[WCGreen]

9. Keep forgeting to put the sacasm thingy...

[Bluenorthwest]

2. The First Lady is correct

And she needs to help find the funding to get role models out into not just their cities forgotten corners, but every part of the country. It is vital and allowing children to grow up without frequent exposure to the arts is to deny then an essential part of their education, just as if you denied them classes in math or language.

[azmouse]

3. The arts under boosh were crayon drawings.

I like that Michelle is encouraging her daughters and other children to explore music, paintings, etc.

[BlooInBloo]

4. FLOTUS is right.

[Cha]

5. Well, First Lady, MIchelle, is

right..get them learning and appreciative of the arts and music while they're young and their lives are so much more rich~

[Manifestor_of_Light]

6. and I can hope for White House attention on something other than shitkick...

Classical music? I dare hope???

God forbid, Opera by Mozart???

[DavidDvorkin]

7. But only my definition of the arts

Which might differ a bit from hers.

Seriously, though, I worry a lot more about the scientific ignorance of our children than about their lack of exposure to the arts.

[Thothmes]

10. I wonder what the difference in exposure to art and art history

happens between the school that her children attend vs PS 27 in Anacostia? What is she doing about that?

[AwakeAtLast]

11. This Music Teacher happily recommends!

:kick: & R!

:bounce:

[Jennicut]

12. My husband is a musician and plays the organ at a church, without great music teachers

he thinks he would not have been playing the piano at a young age. He plays in a band, has taught lessons and taught music classes in elementary school, and plays in church. He got private lessons too but the music teachers in his schools had great influences over him.

[ensho]

13. art, music and math cannot be separated

can't have one without the other

[Leo The Cleo]

14. She's right

Exposure to art isn't simply about making a ne generation of artists. Artist will always be born and thrive. The fact of the matter is that art (artifacts) is history. Art is expression. Art is a connection. Now, as it is, many artists don't make a whole bunch of money, however, they don't need to. Lemme stop beating around the bush. Art is the shit. Kids need to be around that shit.

[saltpoint]

15. She's right. Exposure to and immersion in.