 |
| Communities, Disaster & Change Exhibition Opening Night |
Art influences our lives often as a luxury. Nations with populations where daily needs are met can afford it's citizens the opportunity to explore art. In a country where daily life revolves around finding food and shelter it isn't hard to imagine why the arts go unexplored.
For six month I found myself exploring the hot cities and country sides of Ghana, West Africa. Accra, a city of 4 million people is home to the richest and the poorest of Ghanaians. University of Ghana, in Accra, educates the more privileged citizens while neighboring villages identified by rows of small, tin shacks house a family of five living in a 10" x 15" metal box. Like many nations the gap between rich and poor is very large.
A fireman, astronaut, and professional basketball player are some answers an American child will give you when you ask "What do you want to be when you grow up?" In some countries, such as Ghana, not everyone thinks the question is relevant. Asking this question to some revealed a response like "What do you mean?" When those around you struggle to feed themselves and their family daily how can one hope to be an astronaut or a fireman, let alone an artist?
Education exists in places like this but uniforms and official exams are not free. Often the education is so poor outside tutors are needed just to pass exams. Many times children drop out of school due to illness, lack of money or are needed at home to care for other family members. If a person does not have the opportunity to learn vital subjects like math and language who would care about art?
Yet I saw art for sale by street vendors in many poor countries. Did these vendors have an education? Many were undoubtedly self taught. In certain life situations this is a way to make a living. Do these artists have families to support? When did they first start making art? San Zaw Htway, a Myanmar political prisoner, created art in jail out of whatever objects he could manage to find. After his release from solitary confinement and poor living he traveling Myanmar. He held art classes for orphaned children to aid them in expressing their grief from displacement and disaster. Didn't San Zaw Htway have his basic needs, shelter and food, met while in jail.
If you get to work or practice in the arts at all you are lucky. Art is a privilege that should never be taken for granted. The ability to have space to think of your next piece, to explore a concept or simply paint your surroundings is a luxury we should honor and share in ourselves and with our communities.
.
No comments:
Post a Comment