As one of the world’s leading developed countries, the United States has always been at the forefront of education. Its art schools, in particular, are among the best in the world. In the 2021 QS Art & Design School Rankings, the United States occupies five seats in the top ten. If students have a strong passion for art and hope to become professional artists, then attending an international high school for art is undoubtedly the best choice.
However, many Chinese parents hold to the traditional concept of “study math and science well, and go anywhere without fear,” and don’t understand the advantages of arts high schools. It’s worth exploring why specialized art high schools in the United States pay strong attention to this type of education, and why there are advantages in choosing an art school.
How Americans Teach Art
In the United States, and most Western societies, there’s a general consensus that art education is an important pathway to cultivate students’ aesthetic education. It can not only help students improve their perception, understanding, creativity, and problem-solving abilities, but also help them to understand culture, history, and society.
As a result, a 2001 US education reform law announced that art would be included as one of the ten core academic subjects in public education. There’s no upper limit to the arts, academically, in American high schools. Teachers guide independent research projects to help students explore topics that interest them as much as possible. These help students become high-quality, future-oriented leaders through school courses and activities, which is also one of the most valued characteristics of top universities.
For example, art teachers in high school usually propose a topic, allowing students to freely choose media to build their own visual creations around that subject. The standard of artwork isn’t about what’s right or wrong. Instead, the core purpose is cultivating students’ critical thinking and comprehensive creative ability.
The setting of American high school art courses provides students with various options for professional art training, such as music, theater, dance, visual arts, and animation. In addition, many schools invite global artists for different performances every year, thus forming a good artistic atmosphere.
Students find high school art courses fun, not only because they learn professional art skills, but also because of the focus on cultivating students’ creative thinking. Art schools encourage students to use their imaginations, explore new perspectives and ways of expression, and they also allow them to create high-quality, heart-wrenching works with great motivation and passion.
Examples of Top Art High Schools
Let’s learn about some of the best art high schools in the United States!
Interlochen Arts Academy
Interlochen Arts Academy provides students with the opportunity to work, learn, and live in an international artist community, offering a unique art experience. Students will receive support and attention, and have dozens of performance, gallery, and speaking opportunities.
Interlochen Arts Academy offers college preparatory courses and intensive art training in seven artistic fields: creative writing, dance, film and new media, interdisciplinary arts, music, theatre, and visual arts. Interlochen Arts Academy’s students work alongside accomplished faculty, professional guest artists, and 550 other talented and creative students. These personalized guidance and expert portfolio reviews enable graduates to enter selective colleges, universities, and conservatories.
Interlochen Arts Academy has graduated 46 Presidential Scholars in the Arts, more than any other high school in America. It’s also a recipient of the 2006 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award and the 2019 Green Ribbon School Award
Walnut Hill School for the Arts
Walnut Hill School for the Arts is an independent boarding and day high school in Natick, Massachusetts. It provides a transformative educational experience for artistic students in grades 9-12, as well as graduate-level courses. The school offers unparalleled training in dance, music, theater, visual art, film, and media arts, along with a rigorous college preparatory curriculum.
Students from around the world gather at the beautiful campus of Walnut Hill School for the Arts to form a vibrant community. The school also offers immersive summer arts programs in dance, youth dance, and theater. Walnut Hill’s programs provide intensive training in a supportive and creative environment, allowing students to perfectly blend serious study with an exciting, nurturing community.
Chicago Academy for the Arts
Chicago Academy for the Arts is one of America’s premier arts high schools and has been designated as a National School of Distinction by the John F. Kennedy Center. Students from Chicago and surrounding suburbs participate in a unique co-curricular program that combines a rigorous college preparatory curriculum with professional-level training in music, dance, film, visual art, creative writing, theater, or musical theater arts.
Major Takeaways
Art high schools in the US provide a creative and imaginative environment where students can interact with others who share the same interests. Art high schools focus not only on academic achievement and skillset, but also on artistic cultivation, creative thinking, and personal characteristics, creating the best conditions for students to apply to top American art colleges.
For example, when students apply to liberal arts colleges, admissions officers may also require a recommendation letter from high school art teachers or art mentors. This is where American art high schools provide a great resource, as a mature professional can vouch for students’ abilities as an artist. Additionally, art high schools encourage students to create a portfolio of their work to showcase their technical abilities, creative expression, and artistic skills. A compelling portfolio can be one of the most important parts of the college application process.
American high school art education is aligned with the general high school education, and students with a good background in art can stand out when it comes time to pursue higher education. Attending an art high school is undoubtedly a preferential option for students who want to apply to art colleges or even comprehensive universities.
