I had the opportunity to take part in a nine-month long leadership development program within the last year. Each month, myself and a cohort of young professionals spent one day getting a “behind the scenes” look at different aspects of our city, from health care to government, to economic development and more. We were a diverse group and represented a large spectrum of public and private businesses and non-profits and while everyone had their niche, most of them were in professional aspects of business, finance, law, etc.
Me? I get paid to push social media posts and design…stuff…all day. Not exactly a topic that stands up against the trials of human resource management.
Toward the end of the program, we finally landed on ‘Arts & Culture’ day. Now, THIS was my wheelhouse! For the first time all year, I felt confident to share ideas, join in conversations, and actually participate on a higher level.
The problem with this was, that there was no conversation. Every lawyer, business owner, and HR manager in the room just stared forward, eyes glassed over, unable to form intelligible syllables. It wasn’t their ‘thing’…no one knew where to start.
The program leader for the day opted to start off by asking when the last time everyone in the room attended an arts or culture event. “Like, a museum? someone asked. The program leader shrugged in agreement and began taking responses. The answers varied from “last week” to “that one field trip in elementary school”. It spawned a discussion on what it means to classify something as art and culture.
On the Worcester Arts Council, we award artistic grants to support traditional arts, humanities, interpretive sciences; visual artists, performing artists, science educators, historians and other humanists; as well as community, business and civic groups, social service organizations, schools, neighborhood centers, and youth, senior and family associations. Honestly, this all boils down to events and projects that have an artistic component and will benefit the community.
So, why do most people, when asked, try to recall the last time they went to a museum rather than the last time they went to a local international festival? Are we conditioned to believe that the only type of art that exists is high art? And that unless you are skilled in such mediums, you aren’t allowed to enjoy it? What if we taught people that art and culture was as simple as a parade – would that be enough to transform the perception that art isn’t for everyone?
Take my question and try answering it again and see if the answer has changed. I think what you may find, is that art surrounds us each and every day if you are willing to look for it.