America has a long history of great art. From folk pieces to modern masterpieces, art has been a major part of our history, giving life and light to our world. Throughout our homes and businesses, our walls are covered with beautiful artwork.

The future, however, may be at risk if we leave the perpetuation of the tradition entirely up to public education. American art is gradually disappearing from the minds of our students as their art literacy decreases.

As art programs are increasingly being cut out of school budgets, the future art of America may be in jeopardy. If students aren't learning about and learning to appreciate art in our schools, then where will they find a love for art?

A few select schools with large budgets are trying to keep an artistic environment alive, but these are few and far between. Many smaller schools or public schools in low socio-economic areas do not have the choice to keep their arts programs without sufficient funding.

Traditionally, sports programs have been blamed for the cuts in funding for arts programs; however, sports budgets are beginning to have the same problems.

With the advent of No Child Left Behind and accountability tests, schools are cutting funding for a variety of programs to meet the demanding financial requirements of accountability. Thus, since neither the arts nor sports can be measured with a standardized test, they are beginning to receive less funding annually.

The question we could ask ourselves is, "Should our children have to sacrifice having a well-rounded education in order to achieve higher and higher scores on standardized tests?"

Our students' exposure to the arts is dwindling as the years go by. Without future generations to learn about and experiment with the arts, our artistic heritage could slowly and subtly fade into a remnant of the past... if we allow that to happen.

Most students enjoy creating art - drawing, sculpting, word play, dance... all of it. There is no struggle to engender an interest among our youth in the creative end of the art world.

However, many will not choose on their own to formally study art in their spare time. They remain therefore ignorant of the vocabulary, the history, the formal knowledge. Yet those who are required to study art, by exposure sometimes become the future artists.

In lieu of art programs in the public education system, people can organize themselves. Don't expect government to sustain our artistic heritage. Through community centers, parent groups, grant foundations and such, people can keep the arts alive and well in America.