Art: We consume it every day. People often dismiss art as a hobby, but at Urban, we treat it as essential — as it should be. Many people love the idea of art, yet they often undervalue its potential to make us more compassionate, intelligent and reflective.
San Francisco Unified School District high schools require students to take at least one year of art — which can include dance, theater, music or visual art — during their four years. Urban is unique in that all students are required to take at least one trimester of art each year, which can be a visual art class, theatre, or a year-round E-period art class like Jazz Band, Urban Singers or Chamber Orchestra.
While there are currently 437 students at Urban, the total student enrollment in art classes is 579, meaning that many students enroll in multiple art courses. These courses range from visual arts like UAS Stone Carving and Photography to performing arts like Theater 1 and Introduction to Jazz Band. The vast curriculum allows students to play with forms of creative expression they might otherwise avoid.
“By making [art] a requirement, it brings people in who might not otherwise [have] ever taken an art class. I especially love … when I get people who have very little experience with art,” said Kate Randall, visual arts department chair and art teacher. “The required class opens up a whole new way of thinking about themselves that they might not otherwise have ever had a chance to explore.”
Some people see art classes simply as breaks from academic subjects, but we must learn to view these classes as opportunities to enhance our learning and creativity. Not only can students have fun exploring individual art forms, but doing art can stimulate their enjoyment of the practice as a whole. “I was not very big on drawing, so when I saw [the] Sculpture [class], I was really excited. Through doing Sculpture and then going on to Stone Carving, I practiced drawing on the side, and now I do like to draw,” Emily Saunders ’28 said.
Like all of Randall’s art classes, Sculpture includes a three-week inquiry project for which students choose a topic to study before creating artwork in their sketchbooks based on their findings. When I took the Sculpture class in my sophomore year, I chose to focus on patterns for this project. I had fun creating large patterns, but I also tapped into a new part of my brain — one that became more observant and interested in the patterns and world around me.
The inquiry project also gives students an outlet to incorporate aspects of their own lives into their artwork, a practice that can aid self-expression and understanding. “People have had really traumatic personal experiences. Bringing in some of that material gives us a way … to understand our experiences in other ways. It’s a way to digest, and it’s a way to metabolize,” Randall said.
Art can also be a way for students to explore their individuality. “Especially in this age of social media, we have lost what it is to be original. … It’s harder to discover what you’re genuinely interested in [and] what genuinely makes you passionate,” Olivia Argosino-Comer ’26 said. “And so in self-reflecting and … having a steady understanding of who you are, in my experience, you will find what drives you.”
Drawing/Mixed Media student Adelia Murray ’29 discussed her experience of learning more about herself and her standards. “In my art journey so far in Mixed Media, especially in my charcoal art, I’ve discovered how my art shouldn’t be compared to the standards I expect it to look like, but [instead how] my own mind perceives it and how I want others to visualize it,” she said.
An open-ended painting in my freshman year helped me grow more confident. With little art experience and an unsteady hand, my confidence was low. I spent hours trying to sketch the perfect butterfly, erasing every flawed line. When it was time to paint, I was afraid to start — I was worried I would not be able to bring the idea in my head to life. Only when I let go of that initial vision was I able to move forward and find confidence in my abilities.
In addition to giving students freedom, all art classes include art critiques. Art critiques are designated times within a class where students present their artwork and receive feedback from their peers.
Although they can be intimidating at first, art critiques help to cultivate an open and constructive environment that allows us to build trusting and caring relationships with our classmates. “When we do art critiques, it’s built into the curriculum to be honest and to be vulnerable,” Argosino-Comer said. “And if you have to share about a personal belief, then people can find connections.”
This environment helps students build strong relationships. “In my sophomore year, I became friends with a now-graduated senior. This only came because Kate Randall pushed us to be like, ‘Why’d you make this thing? And how does this make you feel as the viewer?” Comer said.
Students notice that the reflection they practice in art class has effects reaching outside of the classroom. “Once you understand yourself, you can have more space to understand others. And I think if you’re understanding others, you have more room to grow,” Argosino-Comer said. “I made the most friends in my art classes, because you have to go … somewhere personal with your art, or [be] more vulnerable with your art.”
Learning about your peers through forms of expression can aid in appreciation for those around you, making art classes beneficial for creating a cohesive community. In an Education Next study called “The Fine Art of School Engagement,” researchers from Texas A&M University and the University of Missouri conducted an analysis showing that students’ emotional empathy increased by around 7.2% as a result of an expanded art education.
The art department aims to foster a collaborative environment for students in art classes. “I think of myself more like a facilitator of a space. And what I witness is that the more I step back, … the more the students start to learn from each other,” Randall said.
For me, the curiosity and reflection that all students were encouraged to practice gave me a window into my peers’ minds. “I think other students will recognize talents and skills in other students that they may not have seen otherwise, and you get to learn about people based on what they make,” said Giselle Chow, art teacher and assistant head for teaching and learning.
Through sharing, critiquing and creating art, students are encouraged to reveal aspects of their identity that may often be concealed. “I think what’s really unique about our classes is that once people have some basic skills, a lot of our emphasis is on people discovering what’s unique about their own voice [and] about their own vision and then starting to find ways to make that more visible,” Randall said. “The classes are like stepping stones or scaffolding to get people out into deeper waters where they’re in their own material.”
In many art classes, teachers give students free rein for their projects. “Art makes you create your own procedure rather than [dictating] one you have to follow. It helps you find your own style and passion,” Murray said.
For many students, art classes stand out because they offer a mental reset without stopping the learning process. “I think having an art [class] built into [your] schedule is a really nice way to be able to take a break and think creatively and work your mind in a different way,” Saunders said. “You need to be able to practice thinking outside of the box or viewing things from different angles. I think you can build those skills by taking an art [class].”
The process of brainstorming, sketching and playing around with ideas can aid students in being more observant. When brainstorming project ideas, students often look outward for inspiration. For my metamorphosis clay head project in Sculpture, I chose to focus on crystals. Throughout the project, I became increasingly observant of the rocks in jewelry, cracks on the sidewalk and other formations I encountered daily.
Things students learn during the process stage of art can show up in the outside world. “You’re generating, you’re able to see patterns [and] you’re able to create routes to solutions better if you’ve spent time doing art, which I think is so critical,” said class of 2027 dean and math teacher Riley Maddox.
Many people also find the brainstorming process to be a great part of their art classes. “The process of art allows for me to divide my thoughts into groups and work methodically to obtain a final result, which satisfies me,” Sculpture student Gabe Ramirez ’27 said.
“I don’t think [art class] is to train people to be artists,” Chow said. “I think it’s actually to help students understand the world around them … [to make] sense of it and to express their own ideas in different ways.”
Students who opt for performing arts also find that the classes have an impact on their overall academic performance. “Jazz is heavily based on improvisation, which involves creativity and thinking on your feet. These skills have carried over to other parts of my life, like the creativity to write poetry for my poetry class and the quick thinking required for Model UN conferences,” Advanced Jazz Band member Grant Wang ’27 said.
Art is a great way to positively shift students’ attitudes toward learning. “If you like learning, it’s more likely that you’re going to have an appetite to learn more skills. … And I think art is so critical [because it] is such a key hook for developing that muscle of loving learning,” Maddox said.
Scientists have found similar trends. According to the National Library of Medicine, when art is incorporated into STEM learning, students enjoy those subjects more.
Art’s power to create exciting learning experiences can expand our capacity to learn in other subjects. If we fully engage in our art classes and commit to being vulnerable, we are sure to find a way to express ourselves and discover more about the people and world around us. Art is an opportunity to become a more empathetic, thoughtful and harmonized version of yourself. Don’t wait to experience art until it is assigned to you. Instead, experience it now through observing, critiquing and creating.