Where flying carpets can bring  Magic

The arts are not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit. — Lola May
The Invisible Masterpiece: When Arts Slip Under the Carpet
As an art teacher and atelierista/art teacher/Imagineer my role often feels like being an imager, someone who helps children visualize the invisible. But lately I’ve noticed a different kind of disappearing act. In many educational settings, we are witnessing the Drama of the Arts slipping quietly under the carpet of core subjects.
Recently I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to expand my practice into teaching Drama. It has been a revelation to watch drama evolve into a Performing Art through movement. In the atelier we often work with static materials, but through movement, the body itself becomes the medium. It is a powerful reminder that expression is not just a drawing on a page but the way a student occupies space and tells a story through their own physical presence.
Despite this magic, there is a growing silent divide in our hallways. There is a myth that Math Science and Literacy are the bones and the Arts are merely the decoration. The reality is that the arts are embedded in every subject just as every core subject is embedded in art. You cannot have Geometry without spatial visualization and you cannot have Physics without the understanding of light tension and movement.
We see it in the architecture of our days. Time resources and physical spaces are increasingly molded toward grade centric classrooms rather than holistic learning environments. When we prioritize the test over the process we lose the Atelier spirit, the sanctuary where mistakes are discoveries.
Even where investment exists we face the Shop Window Effect. Sometimes the arts are used as a shiny veneer of higher achievements for display. But the arts are not a trophy they are a well being necessity. If we only value the polished end product we ignore the messy beautiful growth happening in the shadows.
Despite these opportunity gaps not all is lost. The light still shines through the cracks. We find it when we advocate for the arts as a primary language of learning. We find it when we protect the time for slow deep exploration, whether through a brushstroke or a choreographed step. We find it when we bridge the gap by showing how a play is a study in psychology and a dance is a lesson in rhythm and ratio.
The arts should not be the carpet we walk over they should be the loom that weaves the entire educational experience together. Let us keep pulling the arts out from under the rug and back into the light.