January 4, 2011

Art Saves Lives

Paintings, like poetry or music, are essential nutrients that help people sustain healthy lives. They’re not recreational pleasures or sidelines. They are tools that help us grasp the diversity of the world and its history, and explore the emotional capacities with which we navigate that world. They illuminate, they humble, they nurture, they inspire. They teach us to use our eyes and to know ourselves by knowing others.


 Roberta Smith wrote the above in an article for the The  New York Times, Friday 31 , 2010, Weekend edition entitled "A World of Paintings in One City"


My  sister-in-law sent me this quote and it especially resonated with me as I thought about the future, the past, and New Years resolutions, which have been rolling around in my mind, these past days. For years I used to wear a pin a mother of one of my students gave me, it read- "Art Saves Lives" That plus the statement of Ms. Smith's sums up my feeling of the need for art in our lives. When I do finalize my resolutions this year I will use Ms. Smith's words as my credo.


Bonne Annee

2 comments:

Say Say B said...

yes, it does save lives. Just like art teachers save lives and stay with their students forever ;)

Carole Buschmann said...

Your comment was the best! Thank you. Someday I intend to write of the power of students, the synergy between students and teachers.

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