Can art be the solution to all kinds of social issues? For me, yes. Because art is an expression. It is a picture of thoughts and beliefs. It’s the window to a society and its people. A picture says a thousand words. In line with such a thought, two students at the Northeastern University– Kate Terrando and Christie O’Laughlin created a piece which spoke for major social issues. The latter designed information graphics that explored the relationship between the birthplace of immigrants in the United States and the kind of job they held. This project was a part of the Sticks+Stones project created by their teacher Ann McDonald in 2006. The students collaborated with other students from Poland, Germany, China, Israel, and England.
Such initiatives and collaborations play a great part in cultivating global unity among the youth of this world. This leap of association and friendship overcomes multiple cultural and communication obstacles. This multimedia exhibition called “Culture, Migration, and Representation” questioned the existence of stereotypes and its origins. This mutual bonding shaped the thinking systems, personalities, and thought processes of the students involved.
To say art is just someone’s passion would be a trifle thing. Art is the foundation of a soul. It is a way to address subjects which we fear to admit in front of a mass. Your art could be a simple village life piece. However, to understand that in a deeper sense is the message it wants to propagate. We are so enamoured with the artificially happy city life that we forget the real joy of our heart which we leave at the place from where we belong. Art recognises our abilities and capabilities. It has great power to change the way we think, live and breathe. Be it a movie, a song, a dance, a painting, or any such creative virtue or quality or activity which could influence the thinking process of a large group of people at a time, it is ART.
Robert L. Lynch, President, Americans for the Arts, said, “During my 30 years at Americans for the Arts, I have had the great privilege to visit and learn about a different community nearly every week. While they differ vastly from one another, there is one common strength I have observed: the arts have made a profound impact on the health of each community.”
The above lines are proof that art transcends all cultural and communicational barriers. Art has no reservations. It is for everyone. Every little part of art is like the pearls of a necklace which presents a beautiful picture when it’s done. There’s a subtle message in each art. Find the message and change the world.
Dibyasha Das