Art Rehabilitation Research Paper

Words: 722
Pages: 3

Art is an expression of thought in a variety of types of media; it can be created, or appreciated by anyone. A universal way to communicate ideas, and portray emotions is a very valuable tool. Art has the power to change society in a positive, progressive way. Through inspiring people, the power of rehabilitation, and making connections within people, society can progress because of art.

There are many different ways to interpret one piece of art, and it can often be perceived through various emotions, or ideas. “For one, art moves people emotionally like nothing else can. Art takes them to places in their mind that they wouldn’t otherwise go to, makes them feel things that they never knew they could feel” (B. Danner). Bob Danner explains
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Art, in the form of rehabilitation, can greatly help society to do that. The RTA (Rehabilitation Through the Arts) has programs to help those who may have committed a crime, are depressed, or have struggled with an addiction. “Art allows you to think differently, so you behave differently, so that you can get different results. To me, that’s the definition of rehabilitation” (Sing Sing). These are the words of one who has been through art rehabilitation; the thinking of this individual shows that rehabilitative art has allowed for them to expand their views, and because of that, act differently. Almost everybody that goes through RTA is there because they have weak thought processes, or might not make the best decisions, and after using art as rehabilitation, there is the possibility that they can change their mindset. The fact that one’s view, or opinion on the something could be changed through art is reason to believe that art can change …show more content…
Simply by viewing art, one can be exposed to the perspective of the artist, which can result in being more aware of different cultures and lifestyles. Jay P. Greene conducted a study in which school children went to art museums, and then took a number of tests to see how they compared to students who did not visit the art museums. “Students randomly assigned to receive a school tour of an art museum experience improvements in their knowledge of and ability to think critically about art, display stronger historical empathy, develop higher tolerance, ....” (J. Greene). This study shows that art can connect people to things that they have never experienced in their lives; because of this kind of connection, the possibilities of how society can progress are endless. The students were able to show empathy towards other cultures and their history; this proves that ignorance towards other’s issues can be fixed. Art has the power to be able to expose one to a number of different situations, that they may have never thought about, and it can allow them to see a new perspective. One of the reasons why society is not progressing as much as it could be is because of old-fashioned views, however many of the people who hold these views were born in a generation where art was not as popular, or