Core Commitments

The Value of the Arts

USF recognizes and celebrates how creativity and exposure to the richness of the arts are essential elements to the educational experience, which cultivate the whole person. The arts are a fundamental component of human existence and our capacity to cultivate a benevolent society. The study and appreciation of the arts through performance, practice, and research are essential toward cross-cultural understanding, enrichment, and awareness at the local and
international levels.

The diversity of our own culture is articulated through the arts, which allows us to appreciate many perspectives and voices at the same time. Therefore, it is essential for students, faculty, and staff to find ways to express experiences at USF and beyond. The arts exist to help the individual articulate a vision or point of view that can be felt and received by its very nature. In addition, the arts create space for our society to be more deeply engaged in civic life within our
surrounding communities. For instance, the city of St. Petersburg identified Art, Design, and Architecture as the #4 driver of economic development in Pinellas County. Likewise, the city of Sarasota has a long tradition of urban residential architecture in the country and is a major destination for the arts (Van Wezel, Perlman Music Program/Suncoast, Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe). Further, the USF College of the Arts contributes to the revitalized arts and culture
scene throughout the Tampa Bay area, specifically through Graphicstudio and the School of Music’s multiple ensembles.

Moreover, arts education fosters creative thinking and creative problem-solving skills at the essential level, which leads to innovation and production at the global level. The areas of science and business are dependent on skills honed through the collaborative and creative experience provided by the arts. The arts nurture the imagination and encourage
people to identify connections and overlapping themes. This kind of aesthetic cultivation is critical in the development of new products and systems which are driving the new economy.

Through partnerships with arts organizations, the Florida Center for Partnerships for Arts Integrated Teaching (PAInT) responds to the need for statewide support for arts-integrated instruction in Florida’s schools while implementing robust teaching and learning opportunities to reach vulnerable populations in PreK–12 classrooms.