The Future of the Arts

Having been selected as judge of the recent district meet for the Elementary and high school dept. I witnessed a growing number of artists-to-be and good coaches that will represent the beautiful City of San Carlos to the regional meet in Antique. I can't help but reminisce the good old moments when I won art contests in my virginal days, winning the grand prize of twenty pesos plus a gold medal that will turn to bronze in years of captivity, I never felt greater and it was stamped in my mind that art can really make you rich. It was then that I realize that "I want to become an artist someday".
In the district meet, new skill categories were introduced like tie dye making and still there is the grand and highly creative skill called "dustpan making". These skill contests are training grounds for these elementary and high school students for their chosen vocations in the future - may they be creative little boys in search for his creativity as he arranges the flowers for his contest piece or a brilliant girl in front of a blender testing the newest fruit shake mix that cannot make our stomach crumble. But the grandeur and creativity of the dustpan making really blew me. Again, the "maybe" theory came into me. Maybe this is a test of precision ( the accuracy of collecting the amount of dust swept into the beautifully crafted pan), or a test of creativity (The beauty of the forgotten dustpan as it stands in the corner of one's living room which also functions as a sculpture).
Judging the tie-dye making, I truly pity the other participants who came and were not even prepared to battle. What has become of the teacher/coaches? Other students were unprepared and the others were overly prepared that they were able to miss the small details (one works still smelled that reminded me of "kinilaw" (fish salad with pepper and high doses of vinegar). I wonder if the coaches have been doing their homework.
Many times I have thought of doing a summer art workshop for the teachers of San Carlos,
with a teacher's monthly salary that isn't that inspiring ( well, the most beautiful set of clothes they could afford is a well searched second hand designer piece from their "suki" ukay-ukay).
These art and home economics teachers need a crash course for them to create skillful and proud students because I have observed that what most of them teach are the copied notes from their art teacher in college, it takes creativity and resourcefulness to teach art in school. Now I remember my nephew asking me about the color wheel for his Humanities Class in college.Whaaaaaaaaaat?????????????
I have promised myself not to make long speeches, and I am unknowingly making one. Art and its wonders is really an exciting topic to discuss. Maybe we could talk about it in my summer art workshop for the teachers.

Check some visuals I took during the mural painting contest. Who do you think won?