Arts

The arts are a large part of culture, and the word means much more than "art". The arts include visual arts, literary arts (i.e. books and other writings) and performing arts (i.e. music, dance, drama). 

Sometimes, in universities, it is shorthand for a wider group of subjects which are properly called the humanities. These include philosophy, theology, literature, languages, and history as well.  

"The arts" are usually contrasted with "The sciences".

 Visual arts 

Visual arts consist of any art that can be seen. This form of art doesn't change once it has been made.
 Painting 

Painting is an art that uses pigments to create images. The oldest painting was made on a cave wall, in prehistorical times by a Neanderthal.
 Sculpting 

Sculpting is an art that uses height, width, and depth. You can create a sculpture by carving or shaping things such as rock, metal, or wood.
 Architecture 

Architecture is the art and science behind building and sculpture design. Architecture as an art involves making something look beautiful and appealing to others.

 Performing arts 

Performing arts are those that occur when people show others their artistic skills. These include dancing and singing.

 Literary arts 
Literary arts are those that occur as words. Most are written down, but in the ancient past, some long poems were only told in speech for hundreds of years before finally being written down!

 Conceptual art 

Conceptual art is art in which the idea is more important than the actual beauty of the object.

 Other websites 

 Dictionary of the history of ideas — Classification of the arts 
 Open Directory — Arts 
 National Endowment for the Arts — USA 
 Arts Council — England
 Americans for the Arts
 ArtsJournal — Daily Arts News
 Arts — New York Times
 Arts — The Times 
Association of Hispanic Arts (AHA) 
 History of Art: From Paleolithic Age to Contemporary Art