Our minds allow us to discriminate the colors of the rainbow, the rhythms of sound, the geometrical design of the built and natural universe, and the drama of family, work, love and life. Art is so inextricably connected to our lives that we sometimes take for granted its place in our spiritual, intellectual and emotional core. But it is always there. In the innocence of childhood, the imagination lies close to the surface, but as we age, imagination and creativity deepen through our accumulated experience and wisdom. As individuals, each of us are the walking repositories of our own culture.
Art is a bridge across generations.
When I was in the town of LaCrosse, Wis., a grandmother came up to me to talk about a project that we supported in her community. The children in the local school were asked to gather the stories, legends, myths, and histories of their families to create a community mural, history and video, in addition to informing the youngsters of their roots. The grandmother said that she was thankful that this project had come along because her grandmother had rarely talked with her and now they were asking her questions all the time. Art is a way out of isolation. I worry about the hours that the television consumes of all of our lives, and in the case of older people, there is a very real danger of leading insular days and nights in front of a television set.