Why Teach Art?

Art can sometimes leave people wondering, "Why teach art? It's a waste of time. I don't need someone to teach me how to do that, my two-year old could do that".  All of these reasons may be said at some point, but art is one of those areas that people turn to when they are stressed, need vent frustrations, or say things in picture rather vocally.  According to Emphasis Art, art is one of the only subjects, quite possibly throughout the entire world, that can be understood by everyone, such as an international language.  There is no need for an interpreter because there are no words and the pictures generally get the message across.
In the book What Arts Teach and How it Shows, it mentions something that I think is important for students to know.  I briefly mentioned it before, but it mentions how we can use art to show feeling.  Again, if something cannot be said verbally, art may be another option for saying something.  Many artists in the past have used art as a way to make a statement.  Think about the African American slaves in the 1800's.  They were not allowed to verbally express their feelings, but there is art created by the slaves that expresses their unhappiness.
On the website www.artally.com, it tells a story of an autistic boy who creates masterpieces of art.  This young boy has trouble speaking and talking, so he creates art as a way to express himself.  That is one more reason why teaching about art is a positive thing.