Curious Parents Youth & The Arts Resources

Brought to you by Curious Parents

sponsored by

What is Art?

By Marlene Sider

“I don’t know what Art is, but I know what I like.”

Sound familiar? Many, if not most, people can’t quite define Art. And if we’re not sure what Art is, we may find it difficult to justify spending our time creating Art or paying to have our children explore Art. We may consider Art a lovely hobby, but an egocentric, even selfish, professional pursuit. After all, time spent creating Art could better be spent Earning Money, Saving the World, or on other more worthy pursuits.

Many societies valued Art and the Artist. The Greeks appreciated Beauty as harmony, balance, symmetry. Greek paintings and sculpture idealized the form of the individual. Greek plays promoted the interests of the community and perpetuated the political status quo by dramatizing the dire consequences of rebellion. We no longer restrict our definition of Art to what is Beautiful. Jerzy Grotowski, Polish Theatre Artist, called on Art to provoke an encounter with ourselves. Actress and Playwright Anna Deavere Smith asks us to consider Art as the Soul’s metaphor. Pulitzer Prize-winning Playwright August Wilson uses Art to document the past, while others use Art to dream the future. Poet ee cummings considered Art a Mystery, the Mystery of Life. But if Art is a mystery, is the Creative Process a mystery? And is this a Mystery that we all can and should explore? It has been my experience that if there is the smallest spark of imagination plus the desire and commitment to explore plus the courage to express the Truth of that journey, then that spark can be fanned to a flame that can be Art. And that mysterious journey can be guided by experienced travelers who can stimulate curiosity, enhance awareness, and foster creativity. Rather than being merely a self-serving escape from life, Art invites us to more fully participate in the creative process of life. And I like that.

Marlene Sider is a Theatre Artist and Program Co-Director of Bucks County Community College’s Summer Arts Academy. SAA offers high school students entering eleventh or twelfth grade an opportunity to earn college credit creating art. Call 215-968-8457 or visit www.bucks.edu/admission/art_academy.html.