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Center for Catholic Education and Formation
Saint Thomas Seminary

New England Catholic Biblical School

Diaconate Candidacy

Fine Arts

Creativity is God’s gift to us. Using our creativity is our gift back to God,

~Julia Cameron

God calls us to create a life crowned in His glory. The fine arts -- dance, music, theatre, and visual arts -- give students the opportunity to explore their creativity. Throughout time, the arts have been essential and vital to human existence. When people create in sounds, images, gestures and words, they discover ways to shape and share their thoughts and feelings with others; the arts enrich the quality of life. As students explore and become involved in the fine arts, their creativity mirrors the presence of God around them. In that sense, they are never closer to God than when they participate in the fine arts.

Young children "respond to gestures and movement before they react to the spoken word. They understand and explore sound before they learn to speak. They draw pictures before they form letters. They dance and act out stories before they learn to read" (Fowler, 1984). The fine arts are fundamental ways of knowing and thinking. In addition to their intrinsic value, the arts contribute to children's development cognitively and affectively.

Study of the fine arts allows students to appreciate God in nature and utilize different areas of their creativity. This creative process allows for a personal expression of ideas and cultures and also a tolerance and blending of varied points of view. Because the arts are both universal and culturally specific, they are a powerful means of increasing international and intercultural awareness. Through the arts, students gain a greater understanding of their own cultural heritage, as well as a sense of the larger world community. It encourages growth in self-esteem, risk-taking, and sharpens skills in the mastery of many techniques and mediums. It is for these reasons we believe the fine arts are essential for students to grow spiritually, academically, emotionally, and personally.


For more information contact: 

Valerie Mara, Superintendent