ARIN FROIDL | Reporter

Recently the Lindenwood administration has faced criticism because it is demoting Studio Art and Fashion Design from majors to minors, and in my opinion, that sends a clear message of where the importance of art stands in the eyes of our administrators.

They think it can be shoved in the closet and forgotten about. Unfortunately for them, the arts have never been good at staying in the closet.

There’s a cheesy saying that floats around the internet that says, “The earth without ‘art’ is just ‘eh,’” and as cliché as it is, there’s some truth to it.

Without art, historians would have very little idea of what day-to-day life was like in the ancient world. Without art, some of the greatest cultural revolutions would have never occurred. Without art, the world would be boring.

Are we really a liberal arts school if we deprioritize our arts department? While business and science majors may seem more lucrative down the line, the world needs artists and creators.

[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Art is the rhythm of human life.[/perfectpullquote]

From a more practical standpoint, we need studio art because it’s the foundation of digital art, and we need fashion designers because it is highly frowned upon to be naked in public. But also, and maybe more importantly, we need creators to continue telling stories and to continue bringing beauty into the world.

This is also a problem because if Lindenwood can get rid of these fundamental art majors, what else aren’t they afraid of losing? Is our entire fine arts department at risk of being thrown onto the back burner?

A person’s culture is so often defined by their art: their fashion, their paintings, their music and their dance. It tells the stories of ancient times and modern times. Our art is what makes us human.

Art is the rhythm of human life; we can’t let it be diminished.