Lawrence North Receives Grant from IMCPL

With the help of a $2,000 grant from the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Libraries (IMCPL), Lawrence North’s Art Department Chairman Brian Atkinson can take on the task of releasing students into the real world not only as mathematicians and grammar geniuses, but also as art aficionados.

“Visually literate is understanding what you’re being shown rather than saying ‘nice colors,’” said Atkinson. He feels that students may like a picture that they see but not what makes the picture good or even why they like it.

The process for receiving grants is not as complicated as one might think. The school in need of more money contacts IMCPL and must state why they need a grant and for what reason. However, $2,000 grants are not thrown around lightly and LN only received theirs because they agreed to use it for the sole purposes of research and buying equipment. The department will buy items such as videos, books and images. These supplies will be used to teach students about the history of art. The library is not the department’s only source of money, though. Other money comes from the state and student fees. The art department needs resources just like the mathematics department does and is, therefore, “legitimate to teach” according to Atkinson. He wants the art classes to be “more than just a place where counselors stick students”. He feels that art is not taken seriously and receives muc! h less respect than the other departments.

Social studies teacher Jeff Vest believes art is legitimate, too. “Education today is sold to students to make them worker bees and the art of creativity is lost.”

Junior Marisa Sauer, who has been in band since 6th grade, believes that art is important and “helps you think in different ways”.

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