Although I have five notches on my belt for the number of decades the arts have enriched my life, I am in awe of the unlimited imagination of the human mind and how it creates community.
While we may have differences and preferences in many aspects of our lives, we all manage to gather for exhibition openings, concerts, book clubs, festivals or theater events. How exhilarating it is being in an audience, spellbound by what plays out on the stage and then celebrating the performance with appreciative applause and collective enthusiasm.
During intermission, the lobby fills with conversation. In the gallery, friends exchange impressions and visit with the featured artist. In a moment of quiet the next day or during the drive home, we reflect on the actors’ performances and continue to engage with the art. Recalling passages discussed at a reading, we are moved to compassionate understanding and an expanded awareness of what it means to be human.Â
Art changes us. Beyond the moment-to-moment unfolding in music or choreography or colors and shapes on the canvases, we may feel the intensity of the emotion driving the creation. Our questions reach out for answers and bring us closer to responding to the artwork and connecting us with the artist’s intentions.
After far more many months than we may have planned, gatherings for art cohorts are appearing on our calendars once again. Hello laughter and applause, and goodbye Zoom! Artists missed the interaction with audiences. We all missed connecting with each other around the art.
Lest we focus too much on grown up participation in the arts, let us remember the emerging creatives in our lives — whether they’re children still at home during the day or grandchildren at our door for a visit. With education online, hybrid or back in person learning until they’re sent home to quarantine after exposure, they have missed the gathering of their communities. Think how vital choir, theater or band practice is to bringing together diverse interests and abilities for a common goal. Think how confidence builds while learning a new skill. Think how self-expression brings a sense of achievement and pride in accomplishment. Think how working with clay, paint and metal offers a vehicle for creativity and developing the imagination. Having lives interrupted by schedule changes, loss of routine and absence of playfriends takes a toll on the young and the young at heart.
As the new year provides an opportunity to make resolutions or changes in our lives, think about our creative community. Bundle up the family and make sculptures with wet snow. Check the community calendar for cultural events. Gather up friends and become an audience. Plan a gallery or museum visit. Remember the pleasure of sharing an evening around a favorite art form. Celebrate the imagination involved in transforming the experience of community and providing a richer appreciation of life for all of us.
Mary Jane Edwards is Jentel Foundation executive director.Â
