The best way to get support for art in the schools is call it something else. Jeff Brown works as KTOO-FM music director and is a visual artist as well. He's used tools ranging from Photoshop computer software to X-acto knives to create art, and mounted virtual art exhibits on the internet. He's seen the tools artists, writers and musicians use become better and more affordable, and that's a trend he expects to continue. You'll have more people having more things to say.
Most people are pretty creative, and given the proper outlet, they can express that.
The internet is one of those outlets. As music director at KTOO, he's deluged by hundreds of recordings each month from musicians hoping for radio airplay. It was overwhelming ten years ago, and it's gotten worse. There's so much more to weed through. Before if you had a cassette, any kind of recording, you were cool.