With so many required subjects to study, such as geometry, literature, history, and biology, why study art?

Prehistoric cave paintings in France, Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, Jackson ("Jack the Dripper") Pollock's paint-splattered canvases, and a three-year-old's crayon scribbles, all reflect one simple, but incredible impulse: the desire to paint and to create.

But are random paint splatters or a tot's wall drawings "art?" For that matter, what is art? Are works of art the outpouring of inspired individuals working alone in studios? What makes someone an artist? Is artwork inextricably bound to historic events and times? Furthermore, who has the final say on what is or isn't "art"?

Art is not just an extracurricular activity. Art is mind-blowing. It is about the human need to create images, shapes, movement, and feeling out of paint and brushes. Artists speak through their images. So take a stroll (or sprint) through and think about why these artists painted what they did.