Representation, expression, and form; the definition of art. Art is a way for people to express themselves. Whether it’s painting, music, sculpting, dance, etc., art is the best way for someone to express their emotions in a way that’s truest to them. Lots of students at Taft have amazing artistic abilities, but how can Taft do more to recognize their diverse talents?

Students at Taft have limited way of getting their art out and recognized at school. There are selected art or music or dance classes, but how much recognition do these groups get compared to other programs?

Sports, specifically football, feel prioritized more than anything at this school. At the beginning of the football season, the stands are filled with students excited for the upcoming season. It’s a great social event and brings in lots of money for the school. That passion and focus doesn’t seem as extended to student’s artistic endeavors.

Art, being such a broad category, covers multiple mediums. But at this school, there are few key categories of recognized art, such as painting/drawing, music, and fashion design. And while there are concerts for orchestra or dance, other forms of art never seems to be in the limelight.

Other schools offer more public venues for students to publicize their artistic works. For example, Cleveland High School hosts a music festival called COREchella, where students can go and perform music as a solo act or as a band. Some Taft students are performing at COREchella, but it’s unfortunate that they have to go to a different high school to show off their performances as Taft doesn’t have anything that allows them to show their musical ability.

Emmanuel, a musician that attends Taft and is performing at COREchella, explains, “I think it’s really cool that Cleveland has something like this. Taft really doesn’t do stuff for, like, music and stuff.”

After all, as the school year goes on, the sports stands are close to empty. While there’s lots of school pride for sports, and the playoffs bring some excitement, how many of Taft’s 2000 plus students really care about sports? While the players and coaches work tirelessly for their love of the game, not every student cares about sports, or enough to go to the games. However, I would say that lots of students do care about art. Taft can be a place where both sports and art receive equal attention.

Even Taft’s quarterback, Wellington Bristow, agrees saying: “I think Taft should have more activities that show off people’s art. I play guitar, and it would be nice to show that off.”

Taft is rich with culture and diversity, and with that, different types of personalities will emerge. This school is filled with expressive, passionate people who want a place to show their art. Taft can be that place. If enough students show their love for art and convince the school that building a platform for art can be beneficial to the students, Taft can be a place that can hold multiple mediums: both sports and art.

It’s clear that art has its place in Taft, but when will it have its spotlight?