When is a Box More than a Box?

Last Saturday I taught a group of (mostly) kids how to make origami boxes from scrap paper at a near-by library. I love teaching children because it gets me out of my head and out of a routine. You never know what to expect with them! They aren't self-conscious, they don't worry about making things "just right" and they are creative beyond my wildest dreams.
My favorite project of the day was from a young boy who turned his box into "a shark. With a turbo jet." Explain to me again why people think it's ok to cut funding for art classes in public schools?