Art is Power.

Never forget - every good dictator in history has gone to a lot of trouble to control, harness, or shut down the artists - the painters, the writers, the filmmmakers, the actors, the dancers - because they know that art is power.

When you teach a child about art, and when you enable that child to access his or her expressive abilities, you are transferring power to the younger generation. Art gives kids the power to bring their own voice to the conversation about who they are and how they think. It makes them more than a test score.

Art education is not some sort of nice-to-have. It is basic to what makes us human. It is how ancient civilizations have communicated their place in the universe. It is where we grapple with complex and world-changing ideas. It is a source of self-determination, self-reflection, and thought.

Art is power.