WHEREAS, access to arts education enhances the development of Alaskan youth, by providing them with the opportunity to cultivate and express their imagination and creativity; and
WHEREAS, arts education encompasses dance, drama, music, theatre, literary, and visual arts; and we recognize the cultural aspects of these fine arts and how they are an integral part of Alaska’s history and heritage; and
WHEREAS, Alaska’s indigenous cultures have a rich artistic and lingual heritage, and we recognize the important role of arts education in developing a greater appreciation and preservation of Alaska’s culture and history through the teaching of traditional art and folklore; and
WHEREAS, learning through art can improve reading comprehension, increase motivation and aptitude for learning, build self-esteem, instill a sense of accomplishment, and teach important life skills; and
WHEREAS, we appreciate the teachers, community members, arts organizations, parents, and local artists whose dedication to Alaska’s students have inspired passion, vision, and learning in our schools and communities as they support aspiring artists to improve their skills and explore their talents; and
WHEREAS, arts education plays an extremely valuable role in preparing Alaska’s youth for the future. As American engineer and historian of technology, Eugene Fergeson, noted, “Pyramids, cathedrals and rockets exist not because of geometry, theories of structures or thermodynamics, but because they were first a picture–literally a vision–in the minds of those who built them.”
NOW THEREFORE, I, Mike Dunleavy, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF ALASKA, do hereby proclaim March 2020 as:
Alaska Arts Education Month
in Alaska, and encourage all Alaskans to support and participate in the arts and cultural programs offered to students of all ages in communities across our Great State.
