Three Key Ideas
1. I found it interesting that foundations like the “Lannan Foundation in
Los Angeles, which is shifting almost entirely from arts funding to funding for
'social issues,' to the MacArthur Foundation-the largest private funder of
media arts in the country-which has re-written its program guidelines to
explicitly reject media ‘art’ in favor of ‘community-based organizations that
are working to promote social justice and democracy through media’ have made a
decision to support artistic ideas that involve community problems like poverty
and crime.2. I disagree with Department of Education Director William Bennett’s idea that “arts funding allows the state to support ‘deadbeat’ degenerates who can't earn a real living and whose works ‘teach’ bad, anti-American values.” I see art funded programs in schools as a benefit to a student’s learning experience, because it gives them permission to express themselves in a safe environment that encourages them to have a voice that matters. I also think that not all art is anti-American and there is value to gain from works of art.
3. Dawn Dedeaux takes risks with her community based art projects, such as “Soul Shadows” and creates an opportunity for people to get a natural high from the creative process. Her interview with the Hardy Boys resonated with me because of the danger that she was willing to accept for the sake of making powerful and relevant art. I also appreciate her courage in entering a prison to show young juveniles the interview.
Three Questions Sparked by The Content
1. Why is it that in community-based public art projects discussed in the
text, the community’s voice is never heard, but only that voice of a designated
representative?2. I wonder if New York Senator Patrick Moynihan has experienced military life to support his comment about suggesting that black poverty is a result of young black men being raised by woman only and in order for poverty to go away in black communities a young black man needs to join the military to be around men and not woman.
3. When did art funders and social service funders begin to collaborate and what is an example of this collaboration in a community based art project?
Thank you for this analysis and powerful questions. I hope we can bring them up tomorrow. One of your statements made me curious: Do you have an example of something you might consider "anti-American" art?
ReplyDeleteIf I ever see someone burning our U.S. flag as part of their art project or in general, then that is what I would consider art that is "anti-american." I am a member of the U.S. military and so is my younger brother. We both have put our lives in danger to protect our families from any enemy trying to do harm to our country. It would infuriate me if and when artists disrespect our country in such a way. I think artists who would burn flags in their projects have no idea of the sacrifices that brave soldiers have taken in the past, present, and future to keep everyone (including artists) in the U.S. safe. I am an artist myself and would never be involved in a project that requires the U.S. flag to be burned. I would find a different, less disrespectful way of showing my discontent through art.
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