Did you stay up to watch the Oscars last night? I have always had a tradition of watching the show. It actually all started when my mom was pregnant with me! She tells the story of watching the awards while she was counting the minutes between contractions on that night some 30+ years ago!! Okay, I'm showing my age!! :) Back then the Academy Awards were on the end of March, and always fell close to my birthday. Now they are on in February, but I still never miss them!

Last night I was so inspired and moved by "Inocente", the film that won the Oscar for best short documentary.

Oh how I love this story....

Amazing, isn't she!! When the film directors accepted their award last night along with Inocente, filmmaker Sean Fine shared a passionate plea for unity among artists and unwavering support for the arts in our communities. “This young lady…was homeless just a year ago. She’s an artist, and all of you are artists. And we feel like we need to start supporting the arts. They’re dying in our communities…We need to stand up and help girls like her be seen and heard.”

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When he said this I wanted to run up on stage and just hug him, not that I was there to do so, but I applaud him nonetheless!! What a wonderful show of support for the arts and I believe this includes support for the arts in schools as well! As an art educator, of course this is a cause that is so very dear to my heart. I believe with the education budget cuts and higher focus on the state tests, the arts, especially the visual arts it seems, are being done away with at a high rate! In fact, when I left my teaching job to move to another city for my husband's new job and have our first child, the art program in my elementary school was done away with rather than finding a replacement art teacher!

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We must continue to fight this! We must stand up and fight for the arts in our schools! Parents need to be the voices for their children! Teachers and parenets need to continue to advicate for the importance of the arts. It has been proven time and again that the arts have a significant impact on the success of student performace in all areas of education. Here is a great article on the importance of art in child development as well as in academic performace.

I hope you are encouraged to make a pledge to support the arts! Expose your kids to the theater, museums, classes, and artists that you may know. Support them in their passions, especially if they are showing a love for creative pursuits.

God is the ultimate Master Artist. He was the first Creator and what is so incredible is that He instilled in us the ability and gift to create for Him! I'm so very thankful for this!!

"Yet you, Lord, are our Father.
We are the clay, you are the potter;
we are all the work of your hand."

Isaiah 64:8

If you would like to see "Inocente" the documentary, it is on Itunes and can be found here!!

Happy creating,
Jennifer