Editor:
Art is one of the most important things for a developing student. Art helps kids with critical thinking and cognitive ability. Art is essential in a child’s education. With Pam Kraft’s upcoming retirement the Carbon County School District has decided to cut the Encampment art program to half time. This is a tragedy. Pam Kraft spent her whole life developing one the greatest art programs in the state, even my college art professors admire her for what she’s done and the artists she’s emerged from Encampment. The No Child Left Behind Act has focused so intently on raising test scores in areas such as math and reading, that it puts a strain on the arts. In the public view art is pretty but not essential. Study after study has shown that involvement in the arts boosts test scores. Art classes spawn creative thinking, especially in elementary settings. This makes students smarter in other subjects such as math and reading and if you want to see higher test scores kids should take more art courses, not less. There have been numerous Encampment students, thanks to Pam Kraft and her art program, that have gone on to be very successful people. I am about to graduate with a Bachelor in Fine Arts from the University of Wyoming and I never would have made it this far if I didn’t have art in my primary education. I have gained so much from the arts. In the last three years I have won numerous awards in student exhibitions that totaled nearly $10,000 and sold numerous paintings and sculptures. This has earnestly helped a Platte Valley boy from Encampment obtain a degree and build a start to becoming a renowned artist. If it weren’t for Pam Kraft and the art she instilled upon me I would not be where I’m at today. There are so many opportunities that rise from having art in education. All of the students that had Pam’s art classes from kindergarten to 12th grade were better prepared for jobs, better citizens, and were taught to be humans who enjoy deeper forms of beauty. I am asking that people please attend the school board meeting, write a letter, or sign a petition so that we can save the art program in Encampment. It is something we shouldn’t just cut; it helps every kid in school and in life.
Brandon Russell
Former Encampment student
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