Art is knowledge made visible.  It is also the communicator of human existence.  My hope for each of my students is that something I open their eyes to brings them to a place where they can better express themselves.  As a young artist solves an artistic problem, they are enhancing their critical thinking skills.  The impact of this practice ripples far beyond the edges of a canvas.  A young child once said, “art is making happy.”  I think in our busy 21st-century lives, everyone should have an opportunity to experience the arts in that manner.