Hi Mandy !
Art is to Society is what one's heart is to a human being. Art is what confirms that a Society is ALIVE, and which also stores reflections of that Society for posterity.
What would we know about ancient civilisations, if not for the paintings and sculptures of those eras that have withstood the tests of milleniums, and still provide tangible proofs of the people who belonged to those bygone cultures !
...It is art that shows us what Cleopatra looked like. Art tells us of the kinds of dresses and ornaments preferred by Greek warriors, and Roman aristocracy. Art confirms that Indian farmers of yore used novel labour-saving mechanisms to draw water from wells or rivulets to irrigate their fields, and that the ancient Japanese knew how to build multi-storeyed buildings. Art even allows us to relive through some of the grandest moments in our human history !
...Indeed, Art cannot ever be parted from Society. For, a Society without Art/Literature will go down in history as a race without hearts.
...Would this bit help as an introduction, or conclusion to your essay, young friend ?!

INDYMAD