--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think the problem with the arts in…" description: "\"I think the problem with the arts in America is how unimportant it seems to be in our educational system.\" — Chuck Close" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ac/chuck-close-4781_america_i-think-the-problem-with-the-arts-in-ame_1134123.jpg" --- # I think the problem with the arts in America is how… ![“I think the problem with the arts in America is how unimportant it seems to be in our educational system.” quote by Chuck Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ac/chuck-close-4781_america_i-think-the-problem-with-the-arts-in-ame_1134123.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ac/chuck-close-4781_america_i-think-the-problem-with-the-arts-in-ame_1134123.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ac/chuck-close-4781_america_i-think-the-problem-with-the-arts-in-ame_1134123.jpg) > “I think the problem with the arts in America is how unimportant it seems to be in our educational system.” [Chuck Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-close/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The arts are undervalued in U.S. education, leading to diminished cultural literacy and creativity. **In simple terms:** Arts are seen as unimportant in schools. Key Takeaway Advocate for stronger arts curricula. Themes education culture creativity policy value Mood concerned optimistic Type advocacy analytical When to use this quote - school curricula - community arts programs - policy debates - parental advocacy Key Concepts cultural capital creative thinking social cohesion Questions to Reflect On - How can arts be integrated without sacrificing other subjects? - What benefits do students gain from arts education? A Different Perspective Arts funding often competes with STEM priorities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [America Unimportant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america-unimportant-3130911/) [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Arts America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arts-america-1001639/) [Educational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/educational/) [Educational system](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/educational-system/) [Photography](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/photography/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Problem Arts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem-arts-3130913/) [Seems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seems/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Unimportant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unimportant/) [Unimportant Educational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unimportant-educational-3130912/) ## Related quotes > [One challenge to the arts in America is the need to make the arts, especially the classic masterpieces, accessible and relevant to today's audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-safire/one-challenge-to-the-arts-in-america-is-the-need-to-make-the-arts/) [William Safire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-safire/) > [The arts in America exist in spite of America, not because of America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/the-arts-in-america-exist-in-spite-of-america-not-because-of-america/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [All the arts in America are a gigantic racket run by unscrupulous men for unhealthy women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-beecham/all-the-arts-in-america-are-a-gigantic-racket-run-by-unscrupulous-men/) [Thomas Beecham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-beecham/) > [Whatever the explanation, it's perfectly obvious that our educational system has nothing to do with education: it's a babysitting service designed to replicate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-donaldson/whatever-the-explanation-it-s-perfectly-obvious-that-our-educational/) [Stephen R. Donaldson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-donaldson/) > [“If you don’t have common sense, ask someone who does”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-withrow/if-you-don-t-have-common-sense-ask-someone-who-does/) [Sonya Withrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-withrow/) > [I am convinced that there are genuine and valid levels of perception available with cannabis (and probably with other drugs) which are, through the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-grinspoon/i-am-convinced-that-there-are-genuine-and-valid-levels-of-perception/) [Lester Grinspoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-grinspoon/) > [I don't think the Gallup Poll technique is going to be very helpful in determining the goals of our educational system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sargent-shriver/i-don-t-think-the-gallup-poll-technique-is-going-to-be-very-helpful/) [Sargent Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sargent-shriver/) > [In relation to the political decontamination of our public life, the government will embark upon a systematic campaign to restore the nation's moral and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/in-relation-to-the-political-decontamination-of-our-public-life-the/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [I think my deepest criticism of the educational system . . . is that it's all based upon a distrust of the student. Don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-rogers/i-think-my-deepest-criticism-of-the-educational-system-is-that-it-s/) [Carl Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-rogers/) > [Our educational system is appallingly poor right now. Yet, somehow we're turning out some of the most intellectual and powerful sophisticated minds in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-wallop/our-educational-system-is-appallingly-poor-right-now-yet-somehow-we/) [Malcolm Wallop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-wallop/) > [If you think advantage lies in resources, then you think the best educational system is the one that spends the most money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/if-you-think-advantage-lies-in-resources-then-you-think-the-best/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [“Universities are reluctant to update their syllabus as per industry requirement, not because their students will have to take the trouble to learn new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/universities-are-reluctant-to-update-their-syllabus-as-per-industry/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [We are completely void of anything to do with God. Teachers can't touch a child - even to hug a crying child. Young boys…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-murray-1st-earl-of-mansfield/we-are-completely-void-of-anything-to-do-with-god-teachers-can-t/) [William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-murray-1st-earl-of-mansfield/) > [There's all of this stuff where we have so much debate over nonsense; it could be cured if we had a better educational system,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-r-ehrlich/there-s-all-of-this-stuff-where-we-have-so-much-debate-over-nonsense/) [Paul R. Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-r-ehrlich/) > [We can't live true to our set of values unless American educational system is strong. I really believe that if we don't get that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/we-can-t-live-true-to-our-set-of-values-unless-american-educational/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) ## More by Chuck Close > [While photography is the easiest medium in which to be competent, it is the hardest in which to develop an idiosyncratic personal vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-close/while-photography-is-the-easiest-medium-in-which-to-be-competent-it/) [Chuck Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-close/) > [Never let anyone define what you are capable of by using parameters that don’t apply to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-close/never-let-anyone-define-what-you-are-capable-of-by-using-parameters/) [Chuck Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-close/) > [Inspiration is highly overrated. If you sit around and wait for the clouds to part, it's not liable to ever happen. More often than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-close/inspiration-is-highly-overrated-if-you-sit-around-and-wait-for-the/) [Chuck Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-close/) > [There's something Zen-like about the way I work - it's like raking gravel in a Zen Buddhist garden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-close/there-s-something-zen-like-about-the-way-i-work-it-s-like-raking/) [Chuck Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-close/) > [After a few days in hospital, I was thinking, Oh, gee - I raised in a church, Protestant upbringing which I'd rejected as an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-close/after-a-few-days-in-hospital-i-was-thinking-oh-gee-i-raised-in-a/) [Chuck Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-close/) > [Painting is the most magical of mediums. The transcendence is truly amazing to me every time I go to a museum and I see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-close/painting-is-the-most-magical-of-mediums-the-transcendence-is-truly/) [Chuck Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-close/) > [Every child should have a chance to feel special.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-close/every-child-should-have-a-chance-to-feel-special/) [Chuck Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-close/) > [It's always a pleasure to talk about someone else's work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-close/it-s-always-a-pleasure-to-talk-about-someone-else-s-work/) [Chuck Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-close/) > [I absolutely hate technology, and I'm computer illiterate, and I never use any labor-saving devices although I'm not convinced that a computer is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-close/i-absolutely-hate-technology-and-i-m-computer-illiterate-and-i-never/) [Chuck Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-close/) > [In the 7th grade, I made a 20-foot long mural of the Lewis and Clark Trail while we were studying that in history because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-close/in-the-7th-grade-i-made-a-20-foot-long-mural-of-the-lewis-and-clark/) [Chuck Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-close/) > [Ease is the enemy of the artist. When things get too easy, you're in trouble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-close/ease-is-the-enemy-of-the-artist-when-things-get-too-easy-you-re-in/) [Chuck Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-close/) > [I'm very learning-disabled, and I think it drove me to what I'm doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-close/i-m-very-learning-disabled-and-i-think-it-drove-me-to-what-i-m-doing/) [Chuck Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-close/) > [If it looks like art, chances are it's somebody else's art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-close/if-it-looks-like-art-chances-are-it-s-somebody-else-s-art/) [Chuck Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-close/) > [Paintings can make you cry and it's just \*\*colored dirt\*\*.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-close/paintings-can-make-you-cry-and-it-s-just-colored-dirt/) [Chuck Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-close/) > [You don't have to reinvent the wheel every day. Today you will do what you did yesterday, and tomorrow you will do what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-close/you-don-t-have-to-reinvent-the-wheel-every-day-today-you-will-do-what/) [Chuck Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-close/) [Explore all 106 Chuck Close quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-close/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [You live overseas, you see these exotic places and you want to know about them. But, weirdly, it also made me homesick for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/you-live-overseas-you-see-these-exotic-places-and-you-want-to-know/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) [Browse all 20,382 America quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think the problem with the arts in America is how unimportant it seems to be in our educational system.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Chuck Close" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-close/i-think-the-problem-with-the-arts-in-america-is-how-unimportant-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "America" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-close/i-think-the-problem-with-the-arts-in-america-is-how-unimportant-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ac/chuck-close-4781_america_i-think-the-problem-with-the-arts-in-ame_1134123.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ac/chuck-close-4781_america_i-think-the-problem-with-the-arts-in-ame_1134123.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ac/chuck-close-4781_america_i-think-the-problem-with-the-arts-in-ame_1134123.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think the problem with the arts in America is how unimportant it seems to be in our educational system.” — Chuck Close", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Chuck Close", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-close/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think the problem with the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-close/i-think-the-problem-with-the-arts-in-america-is-how-unimportant-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-close/i-think-the-problem-with-the-arts-in-america-is-how-unimportant-it/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```