WHY ART MATTERS

Does art matter? It is easy to view art as a luxury or a pastime, but it is actually a fundamental bridge between our inner experiences and the outside world.

When asked Does art matter? Catherine Brookes, of the National Endowment of the Arts answered:  “The arts matter because art is meant to move people either on an intellectual or emotional level. Whether this is a book that stays with you days later, or a performance that moves you spiritually or a song that makes you look at the world around you in a different way. The purpose of art is to cause a reaction and with this purpose it can create a synergy of change; change in attitudes, perceptions, and thoughts.”

Brookes' response reminds us that the arts are more than mere decoration. Art serves as a powerful tool for personal expression, societal connection, and emotional healing. Whether through a painting, a song, a dance performance, or a film, art allows us to inhabit perspectives other than our own, fostering empathy and expanding our shared understanding of what it means to be human. In a world often dominated by statistics and logic, art provides the essential "connective tissue" that keeps our culture vibrant and our minds resilient.

Thomas Merton, a Trappist monk and theologian, summed up the power of art in a single, insightful sentence: Art enables us to lose ourselves and find ourselves at the same time.

On a personal level, art is deeply tied to our psychological well-being. Engaging with the arts—whether as a creator or an observer—can significantly reduce stress and anxiety, offering a unique form of therapy for processing trauma and finding meaning. Beyond emotional health, art is a catalyst for cognitive development; it stimulates the brain, enhancing memory and critical thinking skills. This is especially vital for child development and lifelong "creative fitness".

This "creative fitness" is vital at every stage of life, providing a safe space for self-discovery where there is no fear of a "wrong answer," only the freedom to explore one’s own identity and relationship to the world. I often approach my own visual artwork as a process of making decisions and "problem" solving.

Socially and culturally, art serves as a mirror of humanity, capturing the values and struggles of different eras for future generations. It is a historical record that transcends language barriers, helping us understand where we come from and who we are. Throughout history, art has been a catalyst for revolution and protest. It can speak truth to power, raise awareness for social injustices, and unite communities around shared causes like the Civil Rights Movement.

Furthermore, art has always been a driver of social change. By speaking truth to power and raising awareness for injustice, it has the unique ability to unite communities and bridge diverse perspectives. It is through the arts that we often find the empathy necessary to challenge our own prejudices and connect with the experiences of "the other."

Banksy, Flower Thrower, 2003, Beit Sahour, West Bank, near Bethlehem

Finally, the impact of art extends into the practical and economic spheres. The arts and culture sector is a massive economic engine, generating billions of dollars in activity and supporting millions of jobs worldwide. The nonprofit arts and culture sector generated over $151 billion in economic activity in the U.S. in 2022. 

The arts industry supports jobs, boosts tourism, and increases property values in local communitiesIn the realm of innovation, the creativity nurtured by the arts is essential for human-centric problem-solving in science and technology. 

By integrating art into education, we see students achieve higher academic performance and lower dropout rates. This is important to keep in mind when school districts and state and federal governments throughout the U. S. are slashing budgets for arts programs. 

Ultimately, art is not just a pastime. It is not just a reflection of life—it is a vital component of a thriving, innovative, and empathetic society. That's the kind of society I hope we become.

EXAMPLES OF ART AND SOCIAL COMMENTARY

In his painting The Third of May, 1808, Francisco Goya sought to commemorate Spanish resistance to Napoleon's armies during the occupation of Madrid in 1808	Pablo Picasso's monumental painting Guernica (1937) is widely regarded as the most powerful anti-war masterpiece in art history. It was created in response to the Nazi-led bombing of the Basque town of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War,
Created in 1942–1943, it was designed to inspire female employees to support the war effort in factories. It has been adopted as a symbol of women's empowerment, feminism, and labor strength.	The Barack Obama "Hope" poster is an image of Barack Obama, designed by artist Shepard Fairey.  The image was widely described as iconic and came to represent Obama's 2008 presidential campaign.

La cueca sola ("the alone cueca") is a politically charged Chilean protest dance that emerged during the Augusto Pinochet dictatorship (1973–1990). Women, relatives of the "disappeared," danced this traditional courtship dance alone to symbolize the absence of their loved ones

Social Activism Waves in Australia brings together a collection of musical works to shed light on social issues and the need for positive social change. Composers have created music inspired by politics, the environment, health, and what it means to be human.