essay about local artist

Why Local Artists Are So Important (And How You Can Support Your Local Art Community)

Having a love of art is something most people can relate to. There are definitely certain types of art that appeal more to one person than another but the general idea isn’t a foreign concept. Many people enjoy the works visual artists create and appreciate the work it takes to make a truly magnificent piece of artwork. 

The harder part of being an art lover is finding ways to support artists in your local community. Depending on your level of interest in owning artwork for your own private collection you may not be aware of the ways you can support your local art community. Sometimes it can feel like buying a painting is the only way and that’s not always something everyone feels is accessible to them. 

The truth is there is a myriad of ways you can support your local community’s artists. Owning their work is definitely one way to help support the artists near you but it’s not the only way. Supporting your local artists doesn’t have to be inaccessible even if you don’t own a private collection yet. It’s also something that’s really important to your local community as a whole.

Local artists add more than just pretty pictures to your community so it’s important to continue supporting them. Many artists have a true passion for making their own communities a better place to live through their artwork. Not supporting their efforts can hurt their attempts to make things better for your own life. 

If you’ve never considered doing more to support artists around you now is the time to learn about what you can do personally. You can find ways to support artists that work for you, but doing more for your local art community in any manner is always a step forward. No one ever regrets being more supportive of artists. It’s always a great thing for you and for the artists you support. 

Why Do Local Artists Matter So Much?

Artists are some of the most passionate people you’ll ever meet. They are the people that want to make your community proud. Their work is deeply personal to them and they want to make sure it matters when it’s done. Artists in your local community are going to be the ones using their artwork to affect change in your area the most. 

Local artists are the ones who are teaching your children about art in school. They’re the ones spending time working with patients in healthcare settings using art therapy to help a patient recover from all kinds of things. They’re the artists that inspire your local businesses to think outside of the box for ways to increase their profits. 

Local artists matter because your community does better with them around. If artists didn’t put their heart into their community you would be lacking a lot of things you currently love about where you live. They matter because they care and they want to continue making things better in your area.

If you’ve ever been particularly proud to show off your town, especially specific areas of your town, there’s a good chance the local art community has had a lot to do with that. Many communities use local artists to create sculpture gardens and other various town attractions that make your day to day scenery more intriguing. 

Supporting local artists means you’re saying the art programs for your children matter to you. You’re saying that the art therapy being used to improve lives is important. You’re saying you believe the arts truly are improving the way you live your life. 

How Can You Support Your Local Artists?

Supporting your local artists doesn’t have to be a complicated or financially out of reach effort. There are plenty of things you can do to make a difference in your local art community even if you don’t want to collect art for yourself yet. Finding ways that work for you is the key to making sure your support matters. 

How you choose to help your local community is a personal decision but there are some ideas you can use that might have a bigger effect than you think. Sometimes it just takes a minute to think about how even things that seem too small to matter really do have an effect.

To support your local artists you can do things like:

Sharing their work on social media:.

Social media is where a lot of artists rely on getting word of mouth style advertising more than they ever have before. If you see art in your area that you love don’t hesitate to share it online. Tell people where it’s at in your town and who created the artwork you’re currently loving. 

You can also follow your local artists on their social media pages. If they share an image you love, feel free to share that post with your friends. It’s another way to use the same general idea to support your local artists. Social media is extremely powerful when you use it well, and supporting your local art community is a great way to use it very well.

Going To Local Events:

These events can be anything from a gallery showing to a vendor style fair. The point is just to make sure you’re present for the events you’re interested in. Events that aren’t well attended may not be repeated ever again, so it really does make a difference to just be there. If you feel like you want to buy something that’s great but just being at the event makes a bigger difference than you might currently realize.

Shopping Locally For Art First:

If you do have a need arise where you want to buy some art, like decorating a new home, think about your local community before hopping online to shop instead. A lot of local artists would love the chance to create something for you specifically or show you their work and see what you love. 

Sometimes it’s easy to forget about local communities when shopping online is so convenient and readily available at your fingertips. Instead of logging on right away, think about what artwork you’ve seen around town. Your favorite pieces of artwork around your community can guide you to which artists you should look to first. 

If you don’t have a favorite local artist that’s fine too. Think about asking some local galleries or shops that sell artwork for ideas on local artists that would suit your style. Just the mindset of thinking locally first can really change your approach to where you go for art purchases in the future. 

What Should You Take Away From This?

Supporting your local art community is important. There are things local artists do you that you may not even be aware of right now. Being more involved in supporting your local art community can show you what the artists near you are really accomplishing. 

Remember, no amount of time you put in is ever going to be a mistake when it comes to supporting the artists in your town. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose. Enjoy the experience, it’s going to be amazing.

If you would like to check out our contemporary wall sculpture fine art pieces in Mac Soho , click here.

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Supporting Local Art: Cultivating Creativity and Community

Supporting Local Artists: Cultivating Creativity and Community

In a world increasingly dominated by mass production and globalized markets, the importance of supporting local artists cannot be overstated. Local artists serve as the lifeblood of creative communities, infusing neighborhoods with their unique perspectives, talents, and stories. From painters and sculptors to musicians and writers, these artisans play a vital role in enriching our cultural landscape and preserving the essence of human expression.

One of the most compelling reasons to support local artists is the diversity and richness they bring to our cultural tapestry. Unlike mass-produced goods, which often prioritize uniformity and market trends, local artists offer a refreshing array of styles, techniques, and mediums that celebrate individuality and creativity.

By supporting local artists, we not only encourage the exploration of new artistic frontiers but also foster a sense of cultural vibrancy within our communities. From street murals and public installations to intimate gallery exhibitions, local artists provide avenues for dialogue, reflection, and connection, sparking conversations that transcend linguistic and cultural barriers.

Nurturing Economic Sustainability

Beyond the intrinsic value of artistry and creativity, supporting local artists contributes to the economic sustainability of our communities. When we purchase artwork directly from local artists or attend their performances and events, we invest in the livelihoods of individuals who enrich our neighborhoods and contribute to the local economy.

Unlike mass-produced commodities, which often benefit large corporations and distant supply chains, supporting local artists ensures that a greater proportion of our financial resources circulate within the community, fostering economic resilience and vitality. Moreover, by patronizing local art galleries, studios, and performance venues, we help create jobs and opportunities for aspiring artists, bolstering the creative ecosystem for future generations.

Celebrating Cultural Identity and Heritage

Local artists serve as custodians of our collective cultural identity and heritage, preserving traditions and narratives that might otherwise be overlooked or forgotten. Whether drawing inspiration from ancestral folklore, regional landscapes, or contemporary social issues, local artists offer a lens through which we can explore and celebrate the diverse tapestry of human experience.

By supporting local artists, we affirm the intrinsic value of cultural expression and the power of art to transcend boundaries and unite communities. From indigenous artisans preserving age-old craftsmanship to immigrant storytellers sharing their journey through poetry and song, local artists embody the resilience and diversity of the human spirit, enriching our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.

Practical Ways to Support Local Artists

There are numerous ways individuals can support local artists and contribute to the vibrancy of their communities. Here are a few practical suggestions:

1. Attend Local Events: Attend gallery openings, live performances, and art festivals in your community to experience the richness of local talent firsthand.

2. Purchase Artwork: Invest in original artwork from local artists, whether it's a painting, sculpture, photograph, or handmade craft. Your purchase not only supports the artist but also adds beauty and character to your home or workspace.

3. Spread the Word: Share your appreciation for local artists with friends, family, and social networks. Word of mouth can be a powerful tool in amplifying the visibility and success of local artists.

4. Collaborate and Commission: Collaborate with local artists on creative projects or commission custom pieces tailored to your preferences and interests. Personalized collaborations not only support artists financially but also foster meaningful connections and collaborations.

5. Support Arts Organizations: Contribute to local arts organizations, community centers, and cultural institutions that provide resources, education, and opportunities for artists and creative professionals.

In essence, supporting local artists is about more than just purchasing artwork; it's about investing in the vitality and soul of our communities, celebrating diversity, and fostering a culture of creativity, connection, and collective expression. By championing the work of local artists, we contribute to a world where art thrives, voices are heard, and communities flourish.

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Giving Back and Leaning In: The Fundamentals of Community Art Spaces

Never has collaboration and connection been more important in our world. From in-office works spaces to local community inclusion, designers and artists must lean into the relational components of where we gather. After all, art turns spaces into experiences. We recently surveyed business leaders for our latest State of the Art Report and our findings showed that over 90% of the individuals we surveyed view art as a way to create a memorable experience that improves the quality of life for users of a space.

Art has long been heralded as good business. But now is the time to show how art also contributes to the building blocks of a thriving community.

PUBLIC VENUES PROMOTE INNOVATION AND IMPACT

The most successful public spaces have an energy that permeates the entire visitor experience, creating a heartbeat, a soul, that delights guests and invites them into a brand story. This energy is an essential component of placemaking, and it is one that is no longer optional.

As Walter Isenberg, CEO of Sage Hospitality Group says, “Placemaking is significant because the customer demands it. They want to go somewhere interesting, and they’re interested in experiences.”

A prime example of how experience and impact can work together in harmony is the community art space Union Hall. As a multipurpose arts and cultural venue located in Denver’s historic Union Station neighborhood, the nonprofit serves as a “cultural concierge” for the community. Union Hall features experimental exhibitions across a wide array of mediums and focuses. In addition, the space prioritizes partnering with other arts and cultural organizations throughout the larger Denver metro area. A weekly newsletter and social media outreach inform residents of unique, one-of-a-kind art events in and around the area, many of which showcase emerging and underrepresented local creatives.

Union Hall works to create a sense of place, engaging civil society and driving economic development. Ultimately, the venue understands that creative connection is vital to strengthening the local economy.

COMMUNITY ART SPACES SUPPORT DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION AND BELONGING

Art is often a visual narrative. But the way in which that story is told and the individual who brings it to life, are as important as the story itself. That’s why it’s essential to consciously curate art with diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in mind.

Over 80% of people surveyed believe it’s good business to celebrate diversity, equity and inclusion as part of art projects. Beyond being a smart business decision, investing in art can help demonstrate your values and build connections. Nearly 70% of stakeholders surveyed by NINE dot ARTS strongly agree that art’s goal is to build social and cultural capital. However, commercial partners that NINE dot ARTS surveyed reported that in their recent projects, only:

• 50% used a female artist
• 35% used a Black or Hispanic artist
• 15% used an artist from the LGBTQIA+ community

Thoughtfully cultivating diversity must be at the forefront of community art space planning. “Art and social impact and community engagement are huge,” says Sarah McGarry, principal at Stantec. “This is where our clients can tell a story that is supportive of different cultures and make a message of it.”

The Clayton Club puts this notion into action. Founded on the pillars of opportunity, equity and inclusivity, the club’s collection includes more than 235 paintings, photographs, sculptures, murals, and installations. Works commissioned for the Clayton Club are guaranteed fair and proper compensation. In addition, select artists can join the Clayton Community through contributions of art, programming or events in lieu of membership fees, all while keeping 100% of the profit of their displayed work.

This type of model allows underrepresented and emerging artists to showcase their talents and share their perspectives with visitors, volunteers, members and more.

MIXED-USE COMMUNITY SPACES FOSTER COLLABORATION

Collaboration is key to fostering new ideas. For organizations that want to foster co-working or community interaction, creativity should be a central component. Collaboration begins with shared goals for the space and the art itself. Meaningful, successful art experiences only happen when all stakeholders, decision makers and experts work in tandem toward a shared purpose.

According to Chad McWhinney, CEO and co-founder of real estate development leader McWhinney, “The best projects come from harnessing the collective wisdom of a talented team of people, all growing in the direction of a common vision.”

At Union Hall, for instance, a purposeful partnership led to a dynamic arts space supporting a wide variety of events and mediums, each requiring their own collaborations. The space itself is funded through a first-of-its-kind funding strategy – developed in partnership with other commercial businesses -which utilizes a transfer fee from the area condominium sales to support the flexible arts venue.

The Clayton Club’s goal of inspiring and enticing the entrepreneurial minds of its members was made a reality thanks to a partnership with an artwork loan program and arts education nonprofit. The collaboration has created a central meeting place for both creatives and business professionals.

Collaboration can also expand on brand values and foster community involvement with local creatives. In fact, over 95% of people surveyed say including local art is an effective way to support the community while garnering goodwill toward a project.

When the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation prepared to relocate, a central focus was on how to connect their brand and mission to the vibrant arts community in their new location. The end result was a variety of programming, exhibitions and collections that featured local artists and uplifted the rich history of the area. Bonfils-Stanton also took it one step farther by providing dual-language pamphlets on their art collection, expanding access for Spanish speakers.

HOW TO BEGIN CULTIVATING COMMUNITY IN YOUR PUBLIC SPACE

To begin the process of utilizing art to create community impact, remember your brand. Ultimately, who you are and what you stand for will help shape your creative vision and corresponding collection.

From there, ask yourself:

• What value does my brand bring to the table?
• How does my brand exist in relation to the local community?
• How can this art experience engage the local community and tell a compelling story?

Such questions can help guide your integration of art and culture into your space and create that “heartbeat” that will make it stand out. Authentic buy-in from locals will not only increase the value of the space but also establish memories and facilitate belonging. Including work by local artists can boost their business, fuel their passion, and share unique perspectives that spark new ideas.

Essentially, this is the definition of art with intention – art that is brand-focused, locally driven, and thoughtfully curated. Taking it one step further, art with intention is rooted in a vision and gives your business an opportunity to tell a cohesive, visual story in an increasingly competitive market.

About the Author: Martha Weidmann, CEO and co-founder of NINE dot ARTS

As a formally trained artist, self-taught business woman, and lifelong entrepreneur, NINE dot ARTS CEO Martha Weidmann aims to be a mentor and champion for aspiring artists and business leaders alike. Martha and Co-founder Molly Casey formed NINE dot ARTS in 2009 with the vision of building a forward-thinking art consulting company that both curates incredible art experiences and advocates for art and artists. Since then, the firm has completed over 900 projects in real estate development across 35 states and five countries, generating $40 million in revenue for the creative economy. Currently, their artist app, Dotfolio, features over 10,000 artists from around the world.

About NINE dot ARTS

NINE dot ARTS is a nationally recognized, award-winning art consulting and curating firm with over 900 projects in real estate development across 35 states and 5 countries, generating $40 million in revenue for the creative economy. From hotels, multifamily residential properties, and offices to large-scale, mixed use developments and interactive public art installations, NINE dot ARTS transforms ordinary places into one-of-a-kind experiences. For additional information, visit  NINEdotARTS.com .

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Essay on Being An Artist

Students are often asked to write an essay on Being An Artist in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Being An Artist

Understanding artists.

Artists are people who create art. Art can be paintings, music, dance, or any other form of creative expression. Artists use their skills and imagination to create something beautiful or meaningful.

The Creative Process

Being an artist is not just about creating art. It’s about the process of coming up with new ideas and turning them into reality. Artists often spend a lot of time thinking and experimenting before they create their final piece of art.

The Artist’s Journey

Being an artist can be challenging. Artists often face criticism and rejection. But they keep creating because they love what they do. They are driven by their passion for art and their desire to express themselves.

The Joy of Art

Despite the challenges, being an artist can be very rewarding. There’s joy in creating something from nothing. And there’s even greater joy when others appreciate your work. Being an artist is about sharing your vision and touching people’s hearts.

250 Words Essay on Being An Artist

What is an artist, the life of an artist.

Being an artist is not just a job, it’s a way of life. Artists put their heart and soul into their work. They spend a lot of time thinking about new ideas. They also practice a lot to improve their skills. Artists often work alone, but they also share their work with others. They want to make people feel something when they see or hear their art.

Challenges Faced by Artists

Being an artist can be hard. Artists can face many challenges. Sometimes, they may not have enough money to buy supplies. Other times, people might not like their work. But artists keep going because they love what they do. They know that it takes time and effort to create great art.

Why Being an Artist is Rewarding

Despite the challenges, being an artist is very rewarding. Artists get to express their feelings and ideas in a unique way. They can inspire others with their work. When people appreciate an artist’s work, it brings them a lot of joy. Artists also feel proud when they see their skills improve over time.

In conclusion, being an artist is a special kind of life. It can be hard, but it is also very rewarding. Artists use their creativity to make the world a more beautiful place.

500 Words Essay on Being An Artist

An artist is a person who uses their imagination and skill to create something beautiful or meaningful. They may use different materials, like paint, clay, or even digital tools. Some artists make paintings or sculptures, while others write music, dance, or act in plays. Every artist is unique and has their own way of expressing ideas and emotions.

The Journey of Becoming an Artist

Being an artist can be challenging. Sometimes, it’s hard to come up with new ideas or to make your art look exactly the way you want it to. Artists often face criticism, which can be tough to handle. They also need to find ways to support themselves financially, which can be difficult if they are just starting out or if their art is not widely known.

The Rewards of Being an Artist

Despite these challenges, being an artist can also be very rewarding. There is a great joy in creating something that is truly your own. Artists often say that they feel most alive when they are making art. They also get to connect with other people in a deep and meaningful way, by sharing their art and the ideas and emotions it represents.

Artists and Society

In conclusion, being an artist is about much more than just making art. It’s about expressing oneself, facing challenges, and connecting with others. It’s a journey of self-discovery, creativity, and passion. And while it can be hard at times, it can also be a deeply fulfilling way to live one’s life.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

Happy studying!

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Go Local: Why You Should Support Local Art

Supporting local businesses is so much more than just a tagline for a bumper sticker. When it comes to local artists and local art galleries, it’s important to remember that art doesn’t exist in a vacuum — it’s a two-way street, an exchange between artist and audience that has rippling positive impacts on the individuals and the communities surrounding them. It doesn’t cost a thing to step into a local gallery, but it pays off in spades.

It Fosters Community

So much of art centers around the ideas of cultural exchange and understanding, both of which are incredibly important factors in communities as diverse as those across the United States. Simply put, locally made art — perhaps more than any other format — helps us understand and empathize with one another.

More than that, local art helps cultivate a sense of cultural identity. As the Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce reminds us, members of the community often see themselves reflected in local art or feel welcomed into these social spaces, cultivating a sense of respect for both self and place. That sense of belonging is a powerful thing.

It’s Good for the Economy

Truth be told, saying that local art is “good for the economy” is kind of an understatement. According to Americans for the Arts , the economic impact of the nonprofit arts and culture industry in the US accounts for over $63 billion total direct expenditures from organizations and more than $102 billion from audiences each year. These sectors are responsible for the creation of about 4.6 million jobs. And as for the local scene? Nonlocal audiences spend $47.57 for every $23.44 locals spend on performing and visual arts organizations, festivals, public art programs, museums and arts centers.

It’s little wonder, then, that community-facing art programs often do so much to reinvigorate communities across the country. In a review of successful initiatives nationwide, the Project for Public Spaces notes that these economic boosts work hand in hand with promoting interaction in public spaces, job creation, engaging youth groups, fostering alliances between art and business and attracting thousands of visitors and locals alike. The same source points out that about two-thirds of travelers include cultural activities on their itineraries.

It Just Plain Helps People

When you purchase a painting, buy a glass of wine at a reception or leave cash in a donation box, it’s clear that you’re improving the life of an artist in a meaningful and direct way. Some of the ways in which supporting local artists and local art galleries betters lives aren’t quite as apparent, but they’re equally imperative.

When you support local art, be it by a gallery purchase or otherwise, you support local art culture. And the Lincoln City Cultural Center sums up just some of the ways that the presence of art in the community helps people.

For instance, when young people engage with art, it can improve their employability, double their chances of volunteering, increase their chances of voting by 20%, bolster their cognitive abilities, and increase the likelihood of getting a college degree for those from low-income families. It works on the other side of the age spectrum, too; frequent engagement with art and culture among seniors leads to greater levels of subjective well-being, including positive effects on conditions such as depression, dementia and Parkinson’s disease.

Do It for You

Fostering communities and local economies isn’t just a good thing, it’s fulfilling on a personal level. In that way, participating in the local art scene is a form of self-care. Scripps details the numerous therapeutic benefits of getting involved in art, including reducing stress, stimulating the brain in a way that can encourage creative thinking and improve memory, easing anxiety and producing that all-important, feel-good hormone dopamine.

Plus, when you buy local rather than opting for mass-produced art, you’ll own a piece that is 100% unique, unlike any other artwork on the planet. And that’s priceless.

Visiting your local gallery — and better yet, buying a piece — isn’t the only way to lift art and artists in local communities. Oakland’s revered nonprofit educational center, The Crucible , also suggests taking some of the following steps:

Purchasing local art online, whether from your locality or from local art galleries in other communities

Ordering a commission from a local artist (your local gallery can help connect you)

Attending in-person or online events hosted by local art galleries, artists and organizations

Making donations

Promoting and platforming local artists, organizations, events and galleries on social media

As Thad Mighell from the Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver tells Artwork Archive , “People from this generation know that their dollars have buying power, so they’re trying to buy from meaningful sources and establish a personal connection with artists.” We’d add that purchasing from local galleries exercises more than just buying power; it exercises community power.

Alongside experience as a graphic designer and on-set art director, Dan Ketchum is a northeast-LA-based culture, media and food writer of 12 years, with publishers including Ashford University, Salon.com, The Seattle Times and USA Today.

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What Is the Artist’s Role in Society?

Katie Carey | October 24, 2017 (Updated June 23, 2022)

Anna Dean in her studio at  The McColl Center . In this photo, she is seen working on an art project for Atrium Health about the impact of Covid-19. 

We asked artists around the world: “ what is your role as an artist in society, your local community, and the world at large”.

Every artist plays a different and necessary part in contributing to the overall health, development, and well-being of our society.

Creative thinkers and makers provide their communities with joy, interaction, and inspiration, but they also give thoughtful critique to our political, economic, and social systems — pushing communities to engage thoughtfully and make steps toward social progress.

From documenting human history to expressing collective emotions, these nine artists from around the world tell us how they view their role as creative contributors.

On the Quiet Moor by Lesley Birch

Artists are a vehicle for expressing universal emotion..

Art is about connecting with people’s emotions. It’s personal and at the same time, universal.

I’m an expressive painter, working from the landscape and my memories. And yes, my work is personal, although it may not seem so at first. Feelings about my relationship with my mum, dad, and family creep into the work.

It’s a human urge to express emotion through the medium of mark-making. We all carry with us memories of our past experiences.  

An artist has the ability to ‘feel strongly’ to be ‘sensitive’ to things and express this in the paint, gesture, or color. The artist ‘absorbs’ the atmosphere of a place or the memory of a feeling. Sometimes, it’s a burden for the artist to carry all this emotion – to be so sensitive.

Most folks block out emotion. Then, suddenly, a painting ‘speaks’ to them. At that point, the artist has done their job. For me, it is wonderful to connect with people through my work   — when people respond to a painting and really ‘feel’.   My painting is mainly about my self-expression communicated out there on the canvas, but really I think it is everyone’s expression  — I’m just a vehicle.

Everybody hurts. Everybody loves. Everybody hopes. And, everybody dies. Mainly, art is about our own sense of mortality.

Lesley Birch , York, UK

@ lesley_birch, wind by nina fraser, artists are responsible for unearthing the truth..

I believe that the artist's role, above all things, is to be as true to themselves as they can — within society, the community, and the world at large. This sounds like a cliche but is in itself much harder than it seems.

Being an artist involves wearing all sorts of masks, just like any other job, but the difference is we have the lingering responsibility to unearth the truth of things. Sometimes we will seem vulnerable, sometimes we will make mistakes. But the main thing is not to give up.

This resonates with people on a personal and global level, because it is not only empowering but starts from inside ourselves. Before deciding to follow my own artistic path, I co-founded a community arts cafe. This was an amazing experience in itself, but as it wasn't my true vocation I felt there was a limit to how much I could give. This is because I started from the outside in, trying to fix things around me, before realizing I needed to tap into something central to myself.

Nina Fraser , Portugal

@ nina.fraser , @ _ninafraser_  .

Kiss my...  by Ginny Sikes

Artists work to illuminate the margins and make societal changes..

Rather than the word "role," I prefer "commitment." Over many years as an arts educator, I have helped people and communities find their voices and express their concerns through individual and collaborative art projects. This used to be called public art. Now, it is often known as social practice. 

My own work is rooted in feminism –  where expressing my emotions, goals, and ideas, in the realm of the personal, social and political, is an exercise in communicating my individual experience. Working with artists and in art spaces in other parts of the world, beautiful exchanges of ideas often happen – which creates artistic growth, empathy, and new understandings. 

All of these acts can illuminate what lies hidden or repressed in the margins or shadows. New ideas can be brought to life. These ideas can lead to small or large changes in attitudes and even society.

Ginny Sykes , Chicago, USA

De Negen Bargen, Noordsche Veld, Zeijen by Maarten Westmaas

They tell stories and pass on traditions.

Holland is a crowded space. Our history is filled with stories about how we made land out of the water and tamed the deadly seas. Honored by writers, poets, and painters. The word ‘landscape’ stems from the Dutch word ‘landschap’: View of the land. It was invented here in the 17th century, with low horizons and great cloudy skies.

Millions of landscapes were painted here by the great masters as Rembrandt, Ruysdael, Hobbema, Weissenbruch, Mauve, van Gogh and Mondriaan. All were inspired by our flat landscape and big horizons. It is this centuries-long tradition in which I stand. ‘Creating the Dutch landscape’ is my motto, my theme, and my life.

But, our landscape is changing. Our ever-growing population is altering the look of the land. Cities grow and our landscape history is sinking beneath concrete, buildings, and tarmac.

So, as an artist, I not only want the world to see the beauty of the Dutch landscape, but I also want to grow awareness about the lasting visible traces in the landscape. From our 5000-year-old megalithic monuments to our recent day modern windmills. As a photographic detective, I search for stories about our landscape.

We have to be careful with this landscape which is difficult with so little space and more than 17 million inhabitants. That's why I decided to donate 10 percent of all my income to the organizations that protect the Dutch landscape. That's the least I can do as an artist — t o protect the horizon.

Maarten Westmaas , the Netherlands

@ maarten_westmaas , @maarten.westmaas.dutch.landscape.

Peace by Shih Yun Yeo

Artists connect with and inspire people globally.

As we live in a global village, we are somehow all connected via some form of social media. Artists are no longer hermits and we are all "out there [in the world]". I hope my role as an artist is to inspire, connect, and collaborate!

My abstract works are paintings and drawings at the same time. Paintings of geometric and organic shapes and lines, composed of layers of ink, acrylic, and other mediums allude to the gestural surface marks of Abstract Expressionism. My paintings reflect not only with the radical conflict between the two "colorless" colors (black and white), but also their interaction and interdependence. There is a historical richness here, the temporal quality of landscape ink painting, the physical strength and boldness of the black ink, and its generosity and infinite possibilities. 

Shih Yun Yeo , Singapore

Untitled #15 by bruno castro santos ,  2017, color pencil and graphite on paper, 33x46cm , artists record and preserve our human history.

We live in an ever more intricate society where every individual regardless of its specific role plays an important part in the social biodiversity of the world.

Artists have been crucial from the very beginning of our existence. From prehistoric cave paintings to frescos around the world, to scientific drawings, to the avant-garde movements, artists have contributed to expanding human evolution from many different perspectives.

This expansion, much like the universe, is still going on and artists still play an important role. I see myself as part of a community whose work as a global force contributes to this human growth.

There is a crescent complexity in the way the art world evolves and the myriad agents who orbit around it are intimately interlaced with artists and their production. Although artists typically work alone in their studios, they are part of a much larger community and they play a much larger role than one might anticipate.

Bruno Castro Santos , Lisbon, Portugal

@ bruno.castro.santos, industrial & urbex: 'whitstable wharf' (uk ) by aleta michaletos, artists offer messages of hope.

I take my role as an artist very seriously, although I still have endless amounts of fun and experience great joy in my studio. I try to be very thoughtful and socially and politically aware of my surroundings.  Whenever I experience feelings of discomfort in my life, I need to find an answer by transforming those feelings through my art.

An artist's role is almost that of an Alchemist — capable of transforming a few humble materials into objects which are imbued with spiritual and aesthetic value and then possibly also material value.

I prefer to be a harbinger of good news and hope, in this increasingly broken world of ours and I find that images have immense power to restore collective emotional pain and lift the spirit. 

Because I transform my own anguish concerning the present and also the future into something tangible which is simple, hopeful and beautiful, my role is to offer through my art and without being superficial, a message of hope to society, my community and the world at large.

Aleta Michaletos , South Africa

Parrsboro weir by poppy balser, they are ambassadors of the natural world..

I have always lived within walking distance of the ocean. I feel my role as an artist is to be an ambassador for the natural beauty that is found here. I paint out-of-doors as often as I can to get the clearest vision I can of my surroundings. That helps me capture it the most the highest level of truth.

I make my paintings to capture the parts of our landscape that I cherish and find beautiful. In doing so, I am preserving views that may disappear without notice. Think of all the paintings made of the Northwest landscapes that are now records of what those environments looked like there before the wildfires that have swept so much of that part of the continent.

One of my recurring subjects is the herring weir, which is made of nets to catch wild herring. The weirs are largely unique to the Bay of Fundy. When I was young there were herring weirs everywhere; they were commonplace. Now, they are almost all gone. I now have to travel a fair distance to paint the remaining ones while they are still here. These rather odd assemblages of netting might not mean much to people who have no connection to this area, but they are instantly recognizable to the people from here, who find great meaning in my paintings of the weirs.

I go out to paint the things that I find beautiful, never knowing what might someday become extra special because it, too, may no longer be easily seen outside of paintings. I put my paintings out into the world so that people who will never get a chance to come here might still be moved by the views of this place. 

Poppy Balser , Canada

@ poppybalser , @ poppybalserpaintings.

Polychrome by Steve Immerman

Artists create a sense of community..

There are many roles that an artist fills. But, in smaller cities, having local artists brings a sense of pride to the community. It also sets examples for young people who might be considering careers in the arts. Artists support their communities by teaching their art and craft.

Also, in most communities, there are auctions that benefit local causes and charities, and donations of art by local artists are some of the most popular items at these auctions. 

Steve Immerman, United States

@ docimmer , @ clearwaterglass, share this article, related articles.

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Transforming Local Communities Through Artistic Leadership

How artists, communities, and funders can come together to effectively promote local change.

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By Stephan Manning & Yeşim Uygur Aug. 3, 2023

Addressing entrenched social problems in local communities like inequality, violence, or environmental degradation is as much about changing local cultures and mindsets as it is about reworking the socioeconomic structures around them. Cultural norms and values, such as gender roles and attitudes toward nature, guide economic and social interactions in communities. Challenging or redirecting established values is therefore at the heart of structural change.

Some of the most powerful tools for challenging established norms and for raising awareness about social problems are cultural artifacts like art, music, and film . However, artists and artistic projects have the power to do much more. Indeed, they can play a vital role in community change. Given the right support and strategy, artist-led efforts can empower communities to craft desirable futures, make social issues visible beyond the community, and promote long-term investments in local transformations.

But where exactly does the power of art for social change lie, and how can artists, communities, and funders effectively promote art-based change projects? Here’s a look at three artist-led projects that have made a significant impact in local communities through a combination of visual art and documentary films, as well as five strategies for funders to best support these types of projects.

Empowering Communities to Craft Desirable Futures

Artistic projects have a unique capacity to empower communities to envision a world different from their present reality. Indeed, the creative process can be particularly useful in contexts of poverty and hardship, where it can be difficult for people to think beyond their immediate opportunities and constraints, and imagine alternative futures.

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The 2010 documentary Waste Land offers a good example. The film portrays a collaboration between Brazilian artist Vik Muniz and a group of catadores, or “collectors,” who gather recyclable materials in Jardim Gramacho, a large landfill near Rio de Janeiro. Muniz works with the catadores to create artworks from materials they have collected, including variations on a Renaissance Madonna , Jean-François Millet's painting The Sower , and Jacques-Louis David’s painting The Death of Marat . The process takes the catadores on a transformative journey that helps them see themselves differently. They develop a newfound sense of pride and value in their work, and a new outlook on their roles as recyclers contributing to environmental sustainability. They also develop new artistic skills.

The documentary ends with an auction, where one portrait sells for more than $64,000. Muniz returns all sales revenues to Jardim Gramacho, supporting catadores to improve their working conditions . Muniz and the filmmakers also donate $276,000 to the workers’ cooperative Association of Collectors of the Metropolitan Landfill of Jardim Gramacho, money that has since been used to purchase computers, install a library, and finance a small-business training program. In 2010, the film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and received more than 50 film awards, including the Best Documentary Award. It was also a nominee for the Best Documentary Feature category at the 83rd Academy Awards. Although public interest in the project peaked with the film’s release , and notwithstanding the closure of Jardim Gramacho in 2012, the documentary imparts valuable insights into labor conditions in landfill environments and more generally retains the power to mobilize people to take proactive stances on societal issues.

Making Issues Visible Beyond the Community

Artists and filmmakers can also make local issues visible and relatable to a wider audience through their work, not only inspiring other communities suffering from similar conditions, but also generating new resources and support for local change. Our analysis of film-based impact campaigns shows a strong link between reaching global audiences and effective community change, in part because broad exposure mobilizes support and puts pressure on local stakeholders to promote change.

For example, The Interrupters is a 2011 film that tells the story of three ex-gang members who mediate, or “interrupt,” gang conflicts and prevent shootings in Chicago. The film was included in 44 film festivals in 15 different countries and ultimately seen by 3 million people worldwide .

The Interrupters focuses on Chicago’s CeaseFire program , an effort that aimed to mobilize communities to reduce gang violence in the city. On release, the producers launched a $154,000 outreach campaign in Chicago and nationwide, organizing screenings and conversations in 44 US states about the roots of violence and improving social services. More than 16,000 people saw the film at around 400 moderated community screenings, 300 of which were held outside Chicago. One of the film’s protagonists, Eddie Bocanegra, also organized a special screening around an exhibition dealing with community violence at Chicago's National Museum of Mexican Art. The event shared art and stories by local youth, featured a discussion on the role of art in processing post-traumatic stress, and promoted art mentorships as a pathway to college.

The film and related campaign ultimately inspired the Mayor of Chicago to allocate $1 million for CeaseFire to support more “interrupters,” and while the longer-term effects have been somewhat mixed , the project likely contributed to a 40 percent reduction in local shootings and homicides in 2013. Importantly, the Interrupters film campaign also inspired other US cities to launch programs similar to CeaseFire.

Promoting Long-Term Investments in Local Transformations

Artist-led projects have the potential to create long-lasting impact, because the cultural artifacts they produce—films, paintings, sculptures—remain long after the projects launch. These artifacts can inspire people and generate awareness about social issues through multiple generations. In doing so, they support long-term shifts in values that can lead to new sources of income and careers in the local community.

In 2012, local artists in the Rwenzori Mountains, Uganda— the “Rwenzori Founders” —began crafting, exhibiting, and selling sculptures of extinct and endangered species in the region, both to raise awareness about the consequences of deforestation and to finance local replanting and rewilding initiatives. Over time, many artists have joined the effort, with great results. Since the project began, well over 20,000 trees have been planted in the area, and wildlife diversity has increased. Today, 203 bird species populate the area compared to 50 bird species in 2007. At the same time, the project has created new jobs for locals such as bronze cast workers, tree planters, security guards, cooks, and gardeners.

In an interview, Rwenzori Founder Isaac Okwir describes a virtuous cycle: “The artists come in, they observe and make artworks inspired by the culture and wildlife, which are sold in the local gallery , and the profits return to the community or back into the rewilding project. And as a result, the biodiversity increases, more endangered species come back, and this becomes a source of inspiration for more artists.”

The project has led to a culture shift in the community. In the past, locals perceived wildlife mainly as hunting game, now they see them as a source of identity and worthy of protection. To support this transformation, the Rwenzori Founders organize regular school visits to the gallery. Okwir explains, “If we want the project to be sustainable, we need the younger generation to carry on our dreams.”

In 2021, the project caught the attention of UK filmmakers Zuleika Kingdon and Jacqui Doughty , and inspired them to make The Rwenzori Rainmakers , a documentary about the project. The filmmakers’ Kickstarter campaign raised more than 25,000 British pounds (about $32,000 US dollars), which funded tree saplings for the reforestation effort and employed Ugandan talent as film crew. The filmmakers have run creative workshops and helped launch collaborations between regional and global wildlife organizations, which will generate more funding opportunities.

Supporting Artist-Led Change

Support for artist-led change projects isn’t just about funding the art itself. To be effective, support can and must take many forms. When possible, it should include the following five elements.

1. Funding for a campaign manager . Funders can boost the impact of artist-led projects by helping artists team up with campaign managers who organize special screenings and events; design social media campaigns; and craft educational materials to promote awareness-building, behavioral changes, and policy changes in local communities. For example, the producer of The Interrupters , Kartemquin , teamed up with outreach professionals to organize local screenings, in partnership with communities and city officials. The Impact Field Guide by Doc Society provides rich insights into running impact campaigns and the role campaign managers, or “impact producers,” can play. Campaigns aiming for policy change and regulation and community transformation seem to particularly benefit from them. But they require special funding, especially if professional impact producers get involved.

2. Contacts and collaborative opportunities. As with other social change efforts, funders and foundations can help artists and filmmakers build alliances with governments, NGOs, and community organizations. In the context of Waste Land , the portrait of Tião, one of the catadores involved in the project, was sold at Phillips de Pury, an auction house in London , and a retrospective exhibition featuring the artistic works of Vik Muniz was inaugurated at the Museu de Arte Moderna in Rio. Both the auction sale and the retrospective exhibition provided an opportunity for greater visibility and engagement with wider audiences, enabling the dissemination of the project's core message and impact. Funders can also raise the visibility of artist-led projects among other funders that support social or environmental causes.

3. Support for public events and exhibitions. Funders can also help expand the impact of artistic projects by making public spaces available for events, exhibitions, or screenings. For example, the Public Art Fund supported artist Ai Weiwei’s large-scale Good Fences Make Good Neighbors project in New York City, which addressed the global refugee crisis. The citywide exhibition, which ran from 2017 to 2018, encompassed more than 300 site-specific works, displayed in a wide range of locations, including the Lower East Side in Manhattan and Corona Park in Queens. This use of public spaces fostered dialogue about the fundamental concepts of borders, migration, and belonging. Funders can also support community workshops that use artwork and films to inspire collective change processes. Doing workshops properly may require professional facilitators and counselors who can help participants as they engage with traumatic issues such as gang violence.

4. Educational resources. Supporting art-based educational programs can enhance the impact of art and artistic projects both short- and long-term. For example, in 2012 the MacArthur Foundation and the Burberry Foundation made $2.2 million available to help youth in Chicago develop new skills and confidence, in part through learning opportunities at libraries, museums, schools, and arts venues. Partner organizations of The Interrupters campaign, such as Yollocalli Arts Reach, used this funding to develop art-centered educational programs that empower youth in the community and help them deal with violence and trauma. Funders can also support the development of learning materials around documentaries, which teachers frequently use to introduce students to complex social and environmental issues in the classroom.

5. Artist mentorship. Funders can share expertise in areas such as project management, marketing, and strategic planning to help artists develop the skills they need to lead successful projects. For example, the International Centre of Art for Social Change , an initiative focused on supporting community-engaged art and art for social change, conducts research, provides professional development opportunities, and facilitates knowledge-sharing and networking within the field. The center offers workshops, conferences, and lectures to enhance professional skills and promote the exchange of ideas among artists.

The Interrupters, Waste Land, and the Rwenzori Founders illustrate how artist-led change projects can get communities emotionally invested in their own transformation and in creating real, structural change. For funders, supporting artist-led projects can take many forms, including dedicated funding for a campaign manager, access to potential partners and public space, and providing educational and mentorship opportunities. By coming together, artists, community members, and funders can find creative pathways to making social and environmental issues more visible, and inspiring and empowering communities to take an active part in the process of change.

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The Ryerson & Burnham Libraries collection contains a wide variety of resources that can be used to locate information on artists and their works. Our open shelf collection in the reading room contains reference sources, such as dictionaries, directories, encyclopedias, and indexes. We have strong collections of artist files, auction catalogs, books, exhibition catalogs, journals, and newspapers in the library collection, and the Ryerson and Burnham Archives collections also contain papers for individual artists and arts organizations, as well as a collection of artists’ oral histories.

This research guide provides recommendations for research sources and strategies to locate information on both prominent and obscure artists and their works. Prior to beginning your research, we recommend that you compile as much information about the artist or artwork of interest to you as possible. Do you know the artist’s name, the artwork’s title, the approximate dates the artist worked or the piece was created, or the geographic area where the artist lived or the object was created? If you are working on an artwork in your collection, have you examined it to see whether it contains any signatures or marks, labels, or annotations (you may wish to remove the frame to fully examine the object)? Recording this information and bringing an outline of keywords or research objectives as well as clear, closeup images of any signatures or markings to the library with you will provide you with a strong starting point for your research.

Getting Started

The Ryerson and Burnham Libraries’ catalog will lead you to articles, artist files, books, and exhibition catalogues for an artist. For best results, use the Library Catalog search scope, and enter the artist’s name, last name, first name (example: Monet, Claude). The following resources will also be helpful in learning more about specific artists and their artworks.

Catalogues Raisonnés

Look for a piece in the most comprehensive catalogue of the artist’s known works. Please note these are not available for all artists. The International Foundation for Art Research maintains a free database of published and forthcoming catalogues raisonnés.

In the library catalog, search the Library Catalog scope for: [Artist’s name; Last Name, First Name] – Catalogues raisonnés (example: Hopper, Edward – Catalogues raisonnés).

Artist Files

The Ryerson & Burnham Libraries have over 35,000 artist files, which contain small exhibition catalogs, checklists, clippings, images, and fliers for artists, galleries, museums, and art schools. These are described in the catalog: the location and material type is Pamphlets. See also the New York Public Library’s artists file on microfiche (call number 1990 3).

Biographical Reference Resources

• Who’s Who in American Art This subscription resource is also available digitally in the reading room.
• Who Was Who in American Art, 1564-1975
• Dictionary of Artists (Bénézit) This subscription resource is also available digitally in the reading room.
• Allgemeines Kunstler-Lexikon This subscription resource is also available digitally in the reading room.
• Contemporary Artists

Ryerson Index

Look for articles on an artist, particularly if the artist was in the Chicago area and was active in the early to mid-20th century. This includes references to the Art Institute of Chicago Scrapbooks .

Full Title :   I ndex to Art Periodicals (1962)

Signature Directories

If you do not have the name of the work you are researching, but it has a signature, try resources such as these.

•      American Artists: Signatures & Monograms, 1800-1989
•      Marks & Monograms: The Decorative Arts, 1880-1960
•      The Visual Index of Artists’ Signatures & Monograms
•      Artists’ Monograms & Indiscernible Signatures: An International Directory, 1800-1991

Reproduction Indices

Track down works that reproduce a painting, such as World Painting Index or Art Reproductions .

Art Dictionaries

Art dictionaries are useful for biographies, introductions to periods of art, and the bibliographies that accompany entries; the Grove Dictionary of Art and Oxford Art Online (this subscription resource is available in the reading room) are good examples. Works such as the Dictionary of Art Terms can also be useful for definitions and explanations of terms and periods of art, as well as illustrations and diagrams for entries.

Articles on Art, Artists, and Related Topics

These subscription resources provide citations and some full-text articles on art, artists, and related topics. Unless otherwise noted, they are available onsite at the Art Institute of Chicago and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago campus. Faculty, students, and staff at the Art Institute of Chicago and School of the Art Institute of Chicago can also access most of these resources from other locations with an ARTIC username and password via the Art, Architecture, and Design Resources Page .

Newspaper Databases

The Libraries subscribe to online regional and national newspaper databases, which can be used to locate biographical or exhibition information.

These resources are accessible in the Ryerson & Burnham Libraries via the Newspapers Resources Page .

Auction Databases

The Libraries subscribe to a number of auction databases, most of which cover auctions from the last 20 years. 

These resources are accessible in the Ryerson & Burnham Libraries via the Auction Resources Page.

Researching Artworks in a Museum Collection

Objects currently on display in the Art Institute galleries can usually be found in Collections Online . The record may include an image, information from the wall label, and occasionally an exhibition history and bibliography of titles that mention the artwork. CITI is the museum’s internal collection database, which includes information on all artworks in the Art Institute’s collection. If an item is not on display in the galleries, this may be the best starting point. Please ask at the reference desk for CITI access.

For objects that are on display in other museums and institutions, the subscription ARTstor database, available in the reading room, contains a growing survey of major works of art, as well as specialized image collections.

Search by museum collection, artist, or keyword. ARTstor is available from the Image Databases page .

Catalog of Museum or Department

Consult the catalogs of a museum’s collection or a museum department’s collection. For example: American Arts at the Art Institute of Chicago . You can find these by searching the library catalog for the museum and department name and the term catalogs (for example, Art Institute of Chicago. Department of Textiles — Catalogs).

Beyond the Ryerson & Burnham Libraries

Area Libraries

Check libraries and/or historical societies in the area that the artist was from or was most active for information including newspaper articles and pamphlet files. Try “Find a library near you,” available here: https://www.worldcat.org/libraries .

Chicago Artists’ Archive at Chicago Public Library

This archival collection is available at the Harold Washington Branch of Chicago Public Library (8th floor). Files may contain: resumes, newspaper articles, artists’ books, gallery flyers, videos, press clippings, letters, photographs, some original artwork, and CDs. To find out if a particular artist is included in the collection you can call (312) 747-4300 or consult the list available here: http://www.chipublib.org/fa-chicago-artists-archive/ .

Collections that Have Works by the Artist

Once you discover which museum collections hold pieces by an artist, check with these institutions for information. 

Union Catalogs

The Chicago Collections Consortium contains digitized items from the archives and special collections of various Chicago-area institutions, including scrapbooks, photographs, and other printed material for local art-related topics. Access the free online portal here: http://explore.chicagocollections.org .

WorldCat is a catalog of library catalogs worldwide that contains records for libraries’ holdings of books, journals, manuscript collections, newspapers, and digital and audiovisual resources. It is available thorough subscription in the reading room, or in a free version .

Archival Collections

Look for collections of an artist’s papers in library collections around the world search WorldCat or ArchiveGrid .

For American artists, try the Archives of American Art: http://www.aaa.si.edu/ .

Art Information on the Internet

Conduct broad searches for anything on an artist’s name. Using quotation marks around the artist’s name can help limit, as can adding keywords outside the quotation marks.

“Claude Monet”

“Claude Monet” watercolor

“Claude Monet” artist

Searching Google Images, Google Books, and Google Scholar can also be very useful.

The entries in this free online encyclopedia often include bibliographies, references, and links to related entries.

Biographical Information

Consult sites created by museums, libraries, archives, galleries, and others that provide information on artists.

Art in Context

Artcyclopedia

 For artists about whom little professional literature is available, try genealogical resources such as census documents, city directories, county histories, and local newspaper collections. Many of these resources are freely accessible online.

ChicagoAncestors

Chronicling America

FamilySearch

Internet Archive

  Image Searching

If you have a digital image of the item you are trying to identify, run it through a reverse image search to locate images of similar items on the Internet.

Google Images

Art-Related Services

Appraisal and Conservation

Staff at the Art Institute of Chicago cannot provide authentication or appraisal services, and our conservation staff are not able to accept inquiries on works of art in personal collections. You can locate advice on these topics in our research guide on Appraisal and Conservation Resources for Art .

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IELTS Writing Task 2/ Essay Topics with sample answer.

Ielts essay # 1201 - museums and art galleries should concentrate on local works, ielts writing task 2/ ielts essay:, museums and art galleries should concentrate on local works rather than showing the cultures or artworks from other countries., to what extent do you agree or disagree.

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many people think that mesuam and gallery should only show work from local artist rather than work from another country do you agree?

Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Writing9 with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Include an introduction and conclusion

A conclusion is essential for IELTS writing task 2. It is more important than most people realise. You will be penalised for missing a conclusion in your IELTS essay.

The easiest paragraph to write in an essay is the conclusion paragraph. This is because the paragraph mostly contains information that has already been presented in the essay – it is just the repetition of some information written in the introduction paragraph and supporting paragraphs.

The conclusion paragraph only has 3 sentences:

• Restatement of thesis
• Prediction or recommendation

To summarize, a robotic teacher does not have the necessary disciple to properly give instructions to students and actually works to retard the ability of a student to comprehend new lessons. Therefore, it is clear that the idea of running a classroom completely by a machine cannot be supported. After thorough analysis on this subject, it is predicted that the adverse effects of the debate over technology-driven teaching will always be greater than the positive effects, and because of this, classroom teachers will never be substituted for technology.

Start your conclusion with a linking phrase. Here are some examples:

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Many people believe that cooking is an essential life skill and should be taught to boys and girls in schools. Others disagree and believe it is a waste of school time. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

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Essay 383 – Museums and art galleries should only show work from local artists

Gt writing task 2 / essay sample # 383.

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Many people think that museums and art galleries should only show work from local artists rather than work from other countries.

To what extent do you agree with this opinion?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.

Model Answer:

Whether museums and art galleries should exclusively display artwork from local artists or showcase artwork from artists around the world is controversial. While focusing solely on local artists may promote cultural identity and support local artists, I disagree with the notion and believe that rich national and international collections in museums and art galleries are essential.

Firstly, displaying artwork from different countries in museums and art galleries allows for cultural exchange and promotes understanding among diverse communities. Art serves as a universal language, transcending geographical boundaries, and offering a window into different cultures, histories, and perspectives. By exhibiting art from around the world, museums provide visitors with an opportunity to explore and appreciate the richness and diversity of global artistic expression. This exposure fosters cross-cultural dialogue, encourages tolerance, and promotes a global outlook.

Secondly, showcasing international art in museums and galleries can inspire local artists and stimulate creativity within the local art scene. Exposing local artists to a wide range of artistic styles, techniques, and ideas can push boundaries, challenge conventions, and spark innovation. The influence of diverse art forms can fuel artistic growth and encourage artists to explore new avenues of expression. Moreover, international exhibitions can attract international attention and create networking opportunities for local artists, leading to collaborations, residencies, and career advancements.

Furthermore, it allows individuals to encounter different artistic movements, experimentations, and perspectives, stimulating intellectual curiosity and aesthetic appreciation. By engaging with a diverse array of art, visitors can broaden their understanding of artistic traditions, historical contexts, and contemporary issues on a global scale.

In conclusion, embracing international art brings numerous benefits. It promotes cultural exchange, fosters diversity, and expands artistic horizons. By showcasing artwork from around the world, museums can contribute to the enrichment of local art scenes, inspire creativity, and provide visitors with a more comprehensive and globally connected artistic experience.

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10 Inspiring Examples and Expert Tips for Crafting A Powerful Artist Statement

Make your art speak volumes with this complete guide to crafting an artist statement, whether your medium is clay, paint, digital, or something in between.

Movies have trailers, books have blurbs and creative professionals have artist statements. An artist statement is a written explanation of an artist’s work, which can include their artistic process, influences and intentions. Artists use artist statements as a way to communicate their creative vision to the world. 

An effective artist’s statement is a communication tool between the artist and the audience, helping foster a deeper understanding of their work. The audience of an artist statement are usually viewers, curators and art critics.

Each artist statement is unique, yet some are strong and others fall short of addressing viewers’ pressing questions. Keep reading this article to learn how to write an outstanding artist statement and see how 10 other creatives from various disciplines have approached theirs. 

The Components of a Successful Artist Statement

A successful artist statement encompasses one or several components that give a glimpse into what the artist’s work is all about.

Personal connection

Striking a personal connection in an artist’s statement can be important because it allows viewers to establish an emotional or intellectual bond with the artist and their work. This personal touch can help viewers relate to the artist on a deeper level, fostering empathy and creating a stronger connection between the audience and the artwork.

How much personal information you include comes down to you, your audience, and whether it feels relevant to the body of work you are creating. It is better to err on the side of professionalism than to share about yourself in a way that doesn’t feel authentic. 

Medium of expression and techniques

Detailing the techniques utilized in the creation process can showcase the artist’s technical expertise and mastery of their craft. This can be particularly important for potential buyers, collectors, or curators who consider an artist’s technical proficiency when evaluating their work.

Themes and inspirations

Themes and inspirations help provide context for the artwork, allowing viewers to understand the underlying concepts and ideas explored by the artist. By sharing these influences, artists offer viewers a frame of reference to interpret their work and connect with the artistic narrative more deeply. 

Goals and intentions

When artists express their goals and intentions in their artist statement, it offers insights into the artist’s intended message, emotions, or concepts, helping viewers navigate the artwork’s layers of meaning. This insight fosters an appreciation of the artist’s intentions and enhances the viewer’s overall experience.

Ultimately, every artist statement is unique, and not all will include all four elements introduced here. The right combination depends on the conventions of your chosen medium and the ambitions you have for your work. 

For instance, artists hoping to receive grants or apply for artist residencies may choose to include more technical details and schooling, while artists seeking creative partnerships may provide a more abstract statement, such as the first artist in our list of examples, Yayoi Kusama.

10 Powerful Artist Statement Examples

Draw inspiration from real artist statements across multidisciplinary specialities from sculpture to mixed media and beyond. 

Example 1: Visual artist Yayoi Kusama

Artist statement:.

“My art originates from hallucinations only I can see. I translate the hallucinations and obsessional images that plague me into sculptures and paintings.”

What makes it effective:

This statement comes from Kusama, a famous Japanese artist known as “the princess of polka dots” who has voluntarily lived in a psychiatric hospital for the last four decades. Her artist statement is a glance into the mind of a “mad genius” artist. Kusama’s mental state being a part of her creative process adds another layer to her colorful avant-garde creations, many of which center around the theme of infinity. 

Example 2: Sculptor Antony Gormley

“I’m interested in the raw material of sculpture, the material that it is made from: the lived body. I’m interested in the body not as an image but as a place. It’s from that body that we have all our sensorial relations with the world. All our metaphors, of which sculpture is one, come from that basis.”

British sculptor Sir Antony Mark David Gormley positions the body as a physical place, comparing the physical body to clay. By doing this, the artist provides a frame of reference with which he views the world. Those drawn to metaphors and parallels would be enticed to view Gormley’s work after reading such a statement.

Example 3: Photographer Annie Leibovitz

“I don’t have two lives. This is one life, and the personal pictures and the assignment work are all part of it. Photography has always been a passion of mine, and I have been fortunate enough to pursue it as a career. My approach to photography has always been spontaneous. I’m interested in the moment, not the time it took to get there.”

In her artist statement, one of the most famous photographers in the world humbly makes her work more approachable. Notice how she doesn’t mention that she holds a BFA from the San Francisco Art Institute, but focuses instead on her passion and unrehearsed nature of her portraits, making the craft feel attainable to all.

Example 4: Painter Gerhard Richter

“For me, art is the restoration of order. It may discuss all sorts of terrible things, but there must be satisfaction at the end. A little bit of hunger, but also satisfaction.”

German visual artist Gerhard Richter dedicates his artist statement to what topics art should cover, as well as the emotional outcome art should evoke in the viewer. This sentiment provides a point of connection for others who are looking to get the same “hunger, but also satisfaction” out of their artistic experience.

Example 5: Mixed Media Artist Wangechi Mutu

“My work is a collection of a variety of resources, a collection of experiences. It’s about understanding history, understanding the power of history, the power of power, the power of beauty, the power of transformation, and the power of purpose.”

The artistic statement of Kenyan-born American visual artist Wangechi Mutu tackles power and hints at inequity, the tension between which is a major theme Mutu often broaches across media. The multitude of sources and narratives hint at a retelling of history, creating a sense of intrigue in the viewer and leaving them wanting more. 

Example 6: Visual artist Ai Weiwei

“In normal circumstances, I know it’s undesirable for an artist to be labeled a political activist or dissident. But I’ve overcome that barrier. The struggle is worthwhile if it provides new ways to communicate with people and society.”

What makes it effective: 

By calling himself a dissident, Weiei is appealing to others who want to challenge the status quo or feel that they don’t fit into society. In this way, Weiwei’s artist statement seeks to make a connection with other socially conscious viewers through the greater goal of promoting expression and communication.

Example 7: Visual Artist Andy Warhol  

“I just paint things I always thought were beautiful, things you use every day and never think about.”

Warhol’s artistic statement is as iconic as his art, giving the viewers an appreciation of everyday objects by portraying them in a new light. His artist statement invites people to look at their ordinary lives anew.

Example 8: Painter Pablo Picasso  

“I have never made trials or experiments. Whenever I had something to say, I have said it in the manner in which it needed to be said…I can hardly understand the importance given to the word “research” in connection with modern painting. In my opinion, searching means nothing in painting. To find is the thing.”

Picasso’s artistic statement provides a strong point of view about his method, which steers away from research and toward creative discovery. As a world renowned painter, it makes sense that he doesn’t spend time validating his methods to the audience.

Example 9: Sculptor Richard Long

“In the nature of things: Art about mobility, lightness and freedom. Simple creative acts of walking and marking about place, locality, time, distance and measurement. Works using raw materials and my human scale in the reality of landscapes.”

Known for his natural landscape installations, British artist Richard Long provides a surprisingly poetic artist statement that acts as a reflection of his creative style. 

Example 10: Painter Edward Hopper

“It’s to paint directly on the canvas without any funny business, as it were, and I use almost pure turpentine to start with, adding oil as I go along until the medium becomes pure oil. I use as little oil as I can possibly help, and that’s my method.”

Edward Hopper focuses entirely on describing his unique method in his artist statement, drawing attention to the unorthodox method of oil painting that is entirely his own.

Expert Tips for Crafting Your Own Artist Statement

It’s true that each artist’s statement is unique to the person behind the craft. However, following these basic guidelines will ensure that your artist statement is working hard for you by captivating the audience. An effective artist statement fulfills the purpose the artist intends, such as sparking intrigue, instilling confidence in their expertise, or creating a personal connection with the viewer.

Be authentic and personal

Let your unique voice and perspective shine through, allowing viewers to connect with your work on a deeper level. Share your personal experiences, emotions, and inspirations that drive your creative process. This authenticity enables viewers to not only appreciate the visual aspects of your work but also to engage with the underlying stories, concepts, and ideas that make your art truly remarkable.

Keep it concise and clear

Don’t forget to keep your statement concise and clear, avoiding unnecessary jargon or confusing language. The goal is to communicate your ideas in a straightforward way, allowing your message to resonate with your audience. Avoid overloading your statement with excessive details or tangents that may distract from your main points. Instead, focus on conveying the essence of your artistic vision and intentions. 

Connect with your audience

To enhance the connection with your audience, go beyond mere description and strive to connect with them on both emotional and intellectual levels through your artist statement. Create a bridge between your own journey and the viewer’s experiences, allowing them to relate and empathize with your work on a deeper, emotional level. By inviting the audience to actively engage with your artwork and its deeper meanings, you create a dynamic relationship that goes beyond the surface, fostering a profound and lasting impact.

Edit and revise regularly

Regularly editing and revising your artist statement is essential to refine its clarity and impact, ensuring that it accurately reflects your artistic vision. Treat your statement as a living document that evolves alongside your artistic practice. By regularly editing and revising your artist statement, you can align it with your evolving artistic practice and ensure that it remains a powerful tool for conveying your artistic vision to others.

Seek feedback from peers

Lastly, seek feedback from peers and fellow artists to gain fresh perspectives and refine your statement further. Their insights can help you strengthen your message and create a more compelling artist statement.

With these tools and inspirations at your disposal, you’re well-equipped to craft an outstanding artist statement that effectively communicates your creative vision to the world. 

If you’re still feeling stuck, think about what you would want to know about an artist you admire, and start there.

As the examples in this article illustrate, a strong artist statement plays a crucial role in fostering a deeper understanding of an artist’s work and establishing a connection with the audience. By striking a personal connection, detailing the medium and techniques used, sharing themes and inspirations, and expressing goals and intentions, artists can provide context, invite exploration, and enhance the viewer’s overall experience. 

Now that you’ve explored powerful artist statement examples and gained expert tips, it’s time to put them into practice. Remember that each artist statement is unique, so find the right combination of elements that align with your chosen medium and artistic ambitions. Embrace the process and let your artistic voice shine through.

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The Importance of Being an Artist

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Introduction, cultural impact, societal influence, personal significance.

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IELTS Writing Task 2 Topic: Museums and art galleries should concentrate on the history and art of their own country

Updated On Oct 03, 2023

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Sample essay, band 9 sample essay.

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The Essay Writing section of the IELTS Writing Module can be a difficult task for many IELTS Aspirants. Thus, it is vital that you polish your essay writing skills before attempting the IELTS.

Below is a sample IELTS Essay for the IELTS Essay topic:

Some people think that museums and art galleries should concentrate on the history and art of their own country rather than the works of art of other parts of the world. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

Opinion essay

Introduction

Paraphrase the topic of the essay.

Clearly give a prelude to the essay and what could be expected from it- Some individuals opine that these institutions should primarily focus on their local history and art instead of global works of art. I, however, largely disagree with this viewpoint as international works provide various benefits to the public.

Paragraph 1- Museums and art galleries offer a medium to understanding cultural heritage. By focusing on local history and art only, such institutions limit the knowledge of the public to the domestic borders. Conversely, if art and history from other parts of the world are displayed, museums and art galleries exhibit multiculturalism, allowing people to understand distinct histories and cultures, and thus, enhancing globalization.

Paragraph 2- International historical and cultural works would allow individuals to gain information on critical international issues that many countries face together. Many museums choose to have educational international exhibitions of important political and social issues, which may be more informative than the media.

Give a conclusion to the essay by giving an inference about the essay written.

Museums and art galleries play an important role in offering multifaceted knowledge to the public. Some individuals opine that these institutions should primarily focus on their local history and art instead of global works of art . I, however, largely disagree with this viewpoint as international works provide various benefits to the public.

Museums and art galleries offer a medium to understanding cultural heritage . By focusing on local history and art only, such institutions limit the knowledge of the public to the domestic borders . Conversely, if art and history from other parts of the world are displayed, museums and art galleries exhibit multiculturalism, allowing people to understand distinct histories and cultures, and thus, enhancing globalization . For example, the Vatican museum exhibits works from several European countries, allowing the smallest country in the world to be a bridge to explaining the cultural values of distinct nations under one roof.

Moreover, international historical and cultural works would allow individuals to gain information on critical international issues that many countries face together. Many museums choose to have educational international exhibitions of important political and social issues, which may be more informative than the media. For instance, the Melbourne Art Gallery has collections from across the globe in order to depict thoughts on poverty, war and trade , and in a survey, 88% of visitors declared that they felt more informed about such issues from the museum than from the news.

Countries might fear the loss of cultural heritage owing to having a multicultural setup of museums, however, that is not the case, one never tends to diverge and bias the topics of history on the basis of nativity.

In conclusion, I disagree to a large extent with the belief that museums and art galleries should focus on the history and art of their own country rather than international works, as with the latter, these museums and galleries build a platform for globalization and multinational knowledge.

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Humans have always been fascinated and intrigued by the enchanting chronicles of the past, certain historical events, etc. To aid that fascination, libraries and museums have played a major role. One gets to know a lot of details about the epoch and era they were never a part of. Some people say that a country should only be particular about their own culture and artefacts when it comes to their national museums to which I entirely disagree. In the forthcoming paragraphs, I shall be propounding about my beliefs in this regard. 

Museums have remarkably assisted in safeguarding and preserving our ancestral whereabouts and know-how. Had it not been there, we wouldn’t have ever come to feel and know the accounts of the incredible past and astounding records. Now when it comes to being specific for a certain nation, it shall be extremely erroneous to even think of it. It not only diminishes the knowledge of people but also impedes the process of harmony. The world we are living in today was not always the same politically, it wasn’t divided into provinces and nations as we have today from the beginning. Hence, history is a shared resource and couldn’t be deemed to one particular authority to have sole rights over the events that took place on a particular ground. One gets to know about the cultural, traditional and lifestyle of their forefathers and lineage through correlating the elements of an era and hence fosters and fortifies international and multicultural relationships. For instance, an Indian would not be disinterested in knowing about European or Greek civilizations. 

From the biological and historical perspectives as well, it shall be a massive deterrent to the growth of it, if at all, narrowing and gnawing off the resources to peep into the past of other nations get permitted and hence, tapering off the insights into the evolutionary revolutions. It would be a great impediment in the scientific endeavours and hence, shall be curbing the growth of humanity too. Therefore, it is extremely illogical and awful to limiting a nation’s or a region’s museum to its own confinements. Many a time a nation undergoing severities could be prevented from getting into the boundaries of a catastrophe by learning about similar episodes and the solutions they resorted to getting the way out of it and hence limiting the shades of the past of other regions could imperil the future of the possible threat that could be invoked on a country.

Though one might contend that incorporating other national artefacts and preserves could cut short the essence of native culture and heritage. However, if the art galleries are handled and planned meticulously, that problem would be defenestrated. 

In conclusion, therefore, it could be said that museums and art galleries should foster national and international artworks as it only helps the present as well as the generations to come.

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IELTS Essay: Museums and Art Galleries

by Dave | Real Past Tests | 7 Comments

This is an IELTS writing task 2 sample answer essay on the topic of museums and art galleries from the real IELTS exam.

I’ve actually written about this same topic before but it just came up again on IELTS recently so I decided to write about it a second time!

Please consider supporting me on Patreon.com/howtodoielts to receive my exclusive IELTS Ebooks!

Museums and art galleries should show local history and culture instead of work from different countries.

Discuss both views and give opinion.

Some feel that museums and art galleries ought to primarily focus on showcasing local, rather than international, works. In my opinion, despite the importance of domestic pieces for national cohesion, there is greater value in international items.

Those who advocate for domestic art in national museums and exhibition halls point out the unifying effect. Students in every country are expected to learn their national history but these lessons can often feel impersonal and abstract. The chance to visit a museum and see authentic documents from the past revitalises history and can inspire patriotism. A standout example of this would be The Smithsonian in the United States, which houses key historic and cultural artifacts. Visitors from different parts of the country and disparate ethnic groups can potentially find common ground by reflecting on the struggles and achievements of their forefathers.

Regardless, the citizenry as a whole can learn more from international artworks. Most people have learned their own nation’s history well but possess limited understanding of other cultures. Going to a museum featuring items from around the world is therefore an enlightening experience. For example, The British Museum in London famously contains one of the world’s largest collections of culturally significant artifacts from around the world. By seeing and reading the plaques for a variety of artworks both young students and adults alike have the opportunity to broaden their understanding of the traditions, cultures, and events that underpin the modern world. Over time, this can lead to a more inclusive, culturally diversified society.

All in all, the patriotic positives of locally themed collections are outweighed by the educational benefits of globally sourced institutions. There must be a degree of balance but those in positions of authority should emphasise cultural diversity.

1. Some feel that museums and art galleries ought to primarily focus on showcasing local, rather than international, works. 2. In my opinion, despite the importance of domestic pieces for national cohesion, there is greater value in international items.

• Paraphrase the overall essay topic.
• Write a clear opinion. Read more about introductions here .

1. Those who advocate for domestic art in national museums and exhibition halls point out the unifying effect. 2. Students in every country are expected to learn their national history but these lessons can often feel impersonal and abstract. 3. The chance to visit a museum and see authentic documents from the past revitalises history and can inspire patriotism. 4. A standout example of this would be The Smithsonian in the United States, which houses key historic and cultural artifacts. 5. Visitors from different parts of the country and disparate ethnic groups can potentially find common ground by reflecting on the struggles and achievements of their forefathers.

• Write a topic sentence with a clear main idea at the end.
• Explain your main idea.
• Develop it with specific examples.
• Keep developing it fully.
• Stay focused on the same main idea.

1. Regardless, the citizenry as a whole can learn more from international artworks. 2. Most people have learned their own nation’s history well but possess limited understanding of other cultures. 3. Going to a museum featuring items from around the world is therefore an enlightening experience. 4. For example, The British Museum in London famously contains one of the world’s largest collections of culturally significant artifacts from around the world. 5. By seeing and reading the plaques for a variety of artworks both young students and adults alike have the opportunity to broaden their understanding of the traditions, cultures, and events that underpin the modern world. 6. Over time, this can lead to a more inclusive, culturally diversified society.

• Write a new topic sentence with a new main idea at the end.
• Explain your new main idea.
• Include specific details and examples.
• Continue developing it…
• as fully as possible!
• Any extra statement of the result will help.

1. All in all, the patriotic positives of locally themed collections are outweighed by the educational benefits of globally sourced institutions. 2. There must be a degree of balance but those in positions of authority should emphasise cultural diversity.

• Summarise your main ideas.
• Include a final thought. Read more about conclusions here .

What do the words in bold below mean? Make some notes on paper to aid memory and then check below.

Some feel that museums and art galleries ought to primarily focus on showcasing local , rather than international , works. In my opinion, despite the importance of domestic pieces for national cohesion , there is greater value in international items.

Those who advocate for domestic art in national museums and exhibition halls point out the unifying effect . Students in every country are expected to learn their national history but these lessons can often feel impersonal and abstract . The chance to visit a museum and see authentic documents from the past revitalises history and can inspire patriotism . A standout example of this would be The Smithsonian in the United States, which houses key historic and cultural artifacts . Visitors from different parts of the country and disparate ethnic groups can potentially find common ground by reflecting on the struggles and achievements of their forefathers .

Regardless , the citizenry as a whole can learn more from international artworks. Most people have learned their own nation’s history well but possess limited understanding of other cultures. Going to a museum featuring items from around the world is therefore an enlightening experience . For example, The British Museum in London famously contains one of the world’s largest collections of culturally significant artifacts from around the world. By seeing and reading the plaques for a variety of artworks both young students and adults alike have the opportunity to broaden their understanding of the traditions , cultures, and events that underpin the modern world . Over time , this can lead to a more inclusive , culturally diversified society .

All in all , the patriotic positives of locally themed collections are outweighed by the educational benefits of globally sourced institutions . There must be a degree of balance but those in positions of authority should emphasise cultural diversity.

primarily mainly

focus on concentrate

showcasing displaying

local from that country

international from around the world

domestic local, from your country

national cohesion uniting a country

value importance

advocate support

exhibition halls art galleries

point out argue

unifying effect how it brings people together

expected predicted

national history past of a country

impersonal no personal, removed

abstract far away, not concrete

authentic documents real items

revitalises brings life back to

inspire patriotism make you feel for your country

A standout example of this would be a good instance is

houses contains

artifacts old items

disparate ethnic groups different demographics in society

potentially possibly

find common ground have something in common

reflecting thinking back on

struggles difficulties

achievements what you get done in life

forefathers ancestors

regardless nonetheless

citizenry people in a country

as a whole all together

possess have

limited understanding not much knowing

featuring having

enlightening experience insightful time

famously well known

culturally significant artifacts important art/historic objects

plaques information about the items

broaden widen

traditions past ways of doing things

underpin serve as the foundation for

modern world the world today

over time as time goes on

inclusive accepting and open

culturally diversified society world with lots of different cultures

all in all in conclusion

patriotic caring about your country

locally themed collections items taken from one’s own country

outweighed stronger than

globally sourced institutions items taken from around the world

a degree of balance some equality

positions of authority high up, policymakers

emphasise focus on

Pronunciation

Practice saying the vocabulary below and use this tip about Google voice search :

ˈpraɪmərɪli   ˈfəʊkəs ɒn   ˈʃəʊkeɪsɪŋ   ˈləʊkəl ˌɪntə(ː)ˈnæʃənl   dəʊˈmɛstɪk   ˈnæʃənl kəʊˈhiːʒən ˈvæljuː   ˈædvəkɪt   ˌɛksɪˈbɪʃən hɔːlz   pɔɪnt aʊt   ˈjuːnɪfaɪɪŋ ɪˈfɛkt ɪksˈpɛktɪd   ˈnæʃənl ˈhɪstəri   ɪmˈpɜːsnl   ˈæbstrækt   ɔːˈθɛntɪk ˈdɒkjʊmənts   ˌriːˈvaɪtəlaɪzɪz   ɪnˈspaɪə ˈpætrɪətɪzm ə ˈstændaʊt ɪgˈzɑːmpl ɒv ðɪs wʊd biː   ˈhaʊzɪz   ˈɑːtɪˌfækts ˈdɪspərɪt ˈɛθnɪk gruːps   pəʊˈtɛnʃəli   faɪnd ˈkɒmən graʊnd   rɪˈflɛktɪŋ   ˈstrʌglz   əˈʧiːvmənts   ˈfɔːˌfɑːðəz rɪˈgɑːdlɪs   ˈsɪtɪznri   æz ə həʊl   pəˈzɛs   ˈlɪmɪtɪd ˌʌndəˈstændɪŋ   ˈfiːʧərɪŋ   ɪnˈlaɪtnɪŋ ɪksˈpɪərɪəns ˈfeɪməsli   ˈkʌlʧərəli sɪgˈnɪfɪkənt ˈɑːtɪˌfækts   plɑːks   əˈlaɪk   ˈbrɔːdn   trəˈdɪʃənz ˌʌndəˈpɪn   ˈmɒdən wɜːld ˈəʊvə taɪm ɪnˈkluːsɪv ˈkʌlʧərəli daɪˈvɜːsɪfaɪd səˈsaɪəti ɔːl ɪn ɔːl   ˌpætrɪˈɒtɪk   ˈləʊkəli θiːmd kəˈlɛkʃənz   aʊtˈweɪd   ˈgləʊbəli sɔːst ˌɪnstɪˈtjuːʃənz ə dɪˈgriː ɒv ˈbæləns   pəˈzɪʃənz ɒv ɔːˈθɒrɪti   ˈɛmfəsaɪz  

Vocabulary Practice

I recommend getting a pencil and piece of paper because that aids memory. Then write down the missing vocabulary from my sample answer in your notebook:

Some feel that museums and art galleries ought to p___________y f__________n s_____________g l______l , rather than i_____________l , works. In my opinion, despite the importance of d_____________c pieces for n____________________n , there is greater v_____e in international items.

Those who a____________e for domestic art in national museums and e_______________s p___________t the u______________t . Students in every country are e___________d to learn their n_______________y but these lessons can often feel i___________l and a_________t . The chance to visit a museum and see a____________________s from the past r__________s history and can i__________________m . A ________________________________ e The Smithsonian in the United States, which h_________s key historic and cultural a_________s . Visitors from different parts of the country and d_________________________s can p_____________y f_____________________d by r_____________g on the s____________s and a________________s of their f_____________s .

R___________s , the c_____________y a____________e can learn more from international artworks. Most people have learned their own nation’s history well but p_________s l______________________g of other cultures. Going to a museum f___________g items from around the world is therefore an e__________________________e . For example, The British Museum in London f____________y contains one of the world’s largest collections of c__________________________s from around the world. By seeing and reading the p__________s for a variety of artworks both young students and adults a______e have the opportunity to b_________n their understanding of the t__________s , cultures, and events that u____________n the m_____________d . O____________e , this can lead to a more i____________e , c________________________y .

A___________l , the p_________c positives of l______________________________s are o___________d by the educational benefits of g_________________________s . There must be a____________________e but those in p_________________y should e_____________e cultural diversity.

Listening Practice

Learn more about this topic in the video below and practice with these activities :

https://www.youtube.com/user/smithsonianchannel

Reading Practice

Read more about this topic and use these ideas to practice :

https://artsandculture.google.com/story/10-museums-you-can-explore-right-here-right-now/igKSKBBnEBSGKg

Speaking Practice

Practice with the following speaking questions from the real IELTS speaking exam :

• Should kids be taught art from a young age?
• Is it important for all people to get the opportunity to make art?
• Should art be sold or kept in museums for the public to see?
• Why is art sold for such large sums of money?
• What is the attitude to art in your country?

Writing Practice

Practice with the same basic topic below and then check with my sample answer:

Museums and art galleries should focus on works that show the history and culture of their own country rather than works of other parts of the world.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample Answer: Museums

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Hello Sir, could you please let me know what you think of my essay? Thank you! In today’s society, there are contradicting views on whether or not international works should be displayed alongside local works at art galleries and museums. From my perspective, I firmly believe that this will have many merits and is a positive tendency.

On the one hand, the main purpose of museums and galleries is to provide and raise awareness to the public about the nation’s culture and connect them to their roots and heritage. To illustrate this, growing up I had always visited the national Indian museum, and through those visits, I had a much better grasp and understanding of India’s traditions and history. In addition to this, the moral values and beliefs of countries tend to vary a lot, therefore in order to avoid confusion, it would be easier to solely focus on the local culture.

On the other hand, it ought not to be forgotten that all countries have had an impact on the human race. If this were to be neglected and not taken into consideration, then it would be more challenging to understand mankind accurately. Furthermore, having international collections will not only attract locals but also a huge number of tourists. This will be beneficial to the country because it will boost their economy and create job opportunities for the citizens.

To conclude, although views tend to differ regarding this matter, I would reiterate that governments should try to present a similar number of local and international objects in museums and art galleries. If appropriate steps were to be taken to find and maintain that right balance, then a desirable outcome would be reached for all.

Really nice paraphrasing though you could be more specific with your ideas at times. Especially in the 3rd paragraph you could spend a little more time developing each idea to get a really high mark for task achievement.

Keep working hard!

I remember when a student got this question a long while back. At the time, I thought it was a bit silly as the only possible defense of not showing works from other countries would be some misguided belief that they are shown at the expense of domestic works.

Then, I talked to a british friend (also IELTS teacher) and he was like, ‘oh yeah, this is actually an issue in the the UK given that many our museums are chock full of plundered artifacts from former colonies’. So given that perspective, i guess this question makes sense.

Haha, yeah, good point Sean!

A lot of questions are written from a UK perspective – it’s also fine to have a main idea that doesn’t really make that much sense as long as you can support it well enough.

Thanks for sharing that story!

Hey are using WordPress for your site platform? I’m new to the blog world but I’m trying to get started and set up my own. Do you require any coding knowledge to make your own blog? Any help would be really appreciated!

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Lessons on Collaborative Practice between Artists and Community Developers

Alexis Stephens, PolicyLink

Download PDF (2 MB)

Volume 14, Issue 2 | November 13, 2019

During the Community Development Investments program, when the six participating community development organizations embarked on a journey of co-creation with artists, their experiences had a steep learning curve. As participants leveraged their early experiments into more ambitious projects, they were compelled to address unforeseen friction with new arts partners, accept critique from many sides, and learn from periodic failures. They were rewarded for taking on these challenges by eventually putting in place a wide, colorful, and effective array of arts-based projects that advanced their mission and expanded organizational knowledge and relationships

This essay examines how these community-based organizations designed collaborative practices between their organizations and artists, and how these efforts have significantly changed the ways by which community preservation and revitalization can take place. The artists took on a broad range of roles: not only bringing creative expressions of local history to new audiences, energizing and activating public spaces, and organizing innovative performances and exhibits, but also facilitating internal strategic planning and ways of working.

This article describes cross-cutting themes across all six sites as context for detailed perspectives in the articles that follow in this issue of CDIR , including essays by six of the participating artists and dialogues among the CDI leaders. 1 Specifically, it provides insights on:

• how the CDI leaders matched their priorities with the expertise and artistic practice of collaborators;
• how they identified arts partners and built relationships;
• how, through these experiences, the organizations became more transparent, nimble, and reflective.

Lesson 1: Expanding Knowledge about Artistic Practice

An important first step for most of the CDI organizations was to expand their understanding and imagination around how artistic practice might be deployed in service of specific community challenges. As the organizations got more comfortable with how artists work, the artists often became not only hired talent but also thought partners in the design and execution of the projects, a deeper relationship which worked to the community’s benefit. Moreover, learning more about common relationship structures with artists – elements as basic but important as pay scales for different artistic forms – enhanced the capacity of community development organizations to deploy experimental projects.

These organizations varied in their prior experience working with artists when the program was launched in fall 2015, but they nonetheless considered themselves novices and frequently expressed trepidation about the perceived ‘black box’ of how artists work. Over the course of three years, all six organizations embarked on learning more about the wide typology of artistic practice and increasing their understanding about how different methods and approaches might match each organization’s community development goals.

The Center for Performance and Civic Practice coached, trained, and guided processes at the six sites throughout the course of the program. Their role as a key technical assistance provider was to help the organizations consider their own partnership practices, identify opportunities where an artist might be of service, and engage in productive co-design processes with artists interested in pursuing community development goals. Through this partnership, and as a result of the opportunity to learn more about the arts, many of the projects that the organizations undertook were with social or civic practice artists (Box 1). That is, artists whose artistic practice functioned in service of an aspiration, challenge, or vision defined by the organizations and their community partners.

Box 1: Types of Artistic Practice

Studio practice: Artists create their own work and engage with neighbors/residents as audience.

Social practice: Artists work with neighbors/residents on an artist-led vision that involves some level of community participation and an intention of social impact outside traditional audience experience.

Civic practice: Artists co-design a project with neighbors and residents; the spoken intention is to serve a community’s/public partner’s self-defined needs. 2

As the organizations worked with more artists, they also began to see that different kinds of practices could be applied in creative ways to their priorities – theater practice might help facilitate a community meeting and explore scenarios; photography might help illuminate what a community loves and hates; storytelling might help provide a new insight that data alone could not. With each relationship, the organizations had to adapt to different pay scales, requirements around material resources, and the languages artists use. One consequence of this adaptation was to learn to approach artists with more humility. Instead of approaching them with fully-conceived ideas about how an artist might develop a project, they began to treat artists as thought partners at the outset or design phase of projects.

Lesson 2: Seeking Out Arts Partners

There are many proven avenues to seeking out local art, artists, and arts organizations. When the groups began, many felt as though they were not sure where to find artists. Cultural asset mapping, issuing calls, and forming rosters, directories, and committees were all ways they looked to form new relationships The groups became facile with these techniques and chose or adapted them to their circumstances.

Cultural Asset Mapping

Cultural asset mapping is an exploratory process of identifying the cultural and artistic skills, talents, networks, and histories of an area—including people, spaces, and businesses—to acknowledge and integrate them into planning and development efforts. It provides documentation for visioning and planning that focuses on community-identified strengths, rather than their deficiencies, and provides a new lens through which to understand those communities. 3

Many of the organizations conducted asset mapping at the beginning of the CDI program in order to uncover local artists, cultural centers, and art forms. Some chose to conduct asset mapping later in the program to fit a specific community development or relationship-building goal. For example, Fairmount Park Conservancy completed their cultural asset mapping project in the final year of the program. Their collaborators, Amber Art & Design and Ethnologica, encouraged them to focus on the process of listening over predetermining what the ultimate product of asset mapping would be. The partners conducted life history interviews in people’s homes, on street corners, and via public events, including a barbershop on the porch of a historic house in the Strawberry Mansion neighborhood. 4 They then compiled residents’ stories and memories of the neighborhood into a deck of playing cards featuring current and historic figures and landmarks. The cards have been distributed to residents as a fun, educational, and culturally evocative way to continue a dialogue about how these people, places, and memories might fit into future planning and development projects for the neighborhood. Ellen Ryan and Adela Park from the Fairmount Park Conservancy discuss their collaborative process with Amber Art and Design in the site dialogue that follows while Keir Johnston, Ernel Martinez and Martha O’Connell give their perspective in the adjoining mini-essay.

Residents participating in programs at the Hatfield House in the Strawberry Mansion neighborhood of Philadelphia, PA. Photo credit: Albert Yee

Issuing a Call for Artists, and Forming Rosters, Directories, and Advisory Committees

Issuing a call for artists, similar to a request for proposals, is a common way to find an artist collaborator. The organizations experimented with different methods of issuing calls and learned that defining the parameters of the call wasn’t as simple as they expected, and that they had to be thoughtful about how open or defined the opportunity was. 5

In 2017, Cook Inlet Housing Authority (CIHA) issued a call for artists to “advance the design of a small plaza as a permanent enhancement” in front of one of their mixed-use development projects in the Spenard neighborhood. Their call included: guidelines for working with artists; the project’s details, including the building architect’s plans; and very detailed guidance with respect to how artists were to approach the purpose, functionality, and design of the plaza. It was a learning experience for the organization—one artist responded that they were invited too late in the process, after the planning and permitting were already underway. If the artist had been engaged at an earlier stage, they would have suggested reorienting the plaza in relationship to the surrounding landscape, because the architect had oriented it toward being able to look at the building rather than the surrounding mountains. Sezy Gerow-Hanson and Candace Blas of CIHA also discuss how their approach to working with artists changed over time in the following site dialogue, while artist Enzina Marrari reflects on working with the organization in her mini-essay.

Performer Brian Hutton as a part of the #MIMESPENARD project in the Spenard neighborhood of Anchorage, AK. Photo credit: Brandon McElroy

All of the organizations used the call for artists mechanism to invite artists for specific projects and to cultivate their arts advisory committees and rosters. While individual artists and arts groups were being identified as potential collaborators via cultural asset mapping, calls for artists, or through direct contact by interested artists, the organizations also created new structures for communicating with them, sharing opportunities, and consulting with them as a group. Establishing artist rosters, artist directories, and arts advisory committee all became ways that the organizations moved from engaging with artists on a project basis to building long-term relationships that covered multiple opportunities.

An artist directory can be as simple as a record of information about artists and arts groups. An artist roster is more formal; it includes people who are engaged regularly in these formal engagements, are likely to be compensated for their collaboration. 6 Artist Carlton Turner advised the Jackson Medical Mall Foundation that these are artists who “you don’t just call when you need them, they show up when you need them.” An arts advisory committee is a group that is convened early and often for their input on the range of arts and culture work of an organization. Jackson Medical Mall Foundation, Little Tokyo Service Center, and the Zuni Youth Enrichment Project all formed arts advisory committees and paid members from $30 per session to between $40 and $60 an hour for their participation.

Whatever the method by which the artists are brought into the work, what matters is the depth of the relationships that are formed and the utility of the guidance provided. Many of the groups discovered that it wasn’t enough to get singular input from artists along the way, but that they could actually learn more when through a sustained body of artists invested in their mission and the work being done. Of the three sites with artist committees, the Zuni Youth Enrichment Project’s seven-member advisory committee had the most profound impact on their project and on the sponsoring organization. That committee helped to culturally ground and foster community ownership over the design, construction, and placement of public art within H’on A:wan (“of the people”) Park. Initially, artists were skeptical about the park because of historical experiences where development projects proposed by outsiders equipped with significant financial resources failed to deliver on their promised outcomes. The organization successfully countered skepticism from artists and built trust through frequent communication with the committee, especially when the construction progress was periodically stalled. Members of the committee have reflected that this is the first project where they have felt “heard” and that their input was acted upon. 7

Consulting with Intermediaries

Some of the groups enlisted experts from the arts sector to support them in identifying artists and incubating relationships. Those professionals were available for brainstorming, confidence-building, and connecting the groups to other regional and national creative placemaking leaders. Consulting with arts intermediaries saved these groups time and outreach effort, both valuable during the defined three-year period. The Center for Performance and Civic Practice played this role for many of the groups, with ArtPlace America providing supplementary technical assistance and matchmaking.

Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership sought out Intermedia Arts, a Minneapolis-based multidisciplinary, multicultural arts organization, to hold their first Creative Community Leadership Institute in rural Minnesota in early 2017. The institute engaged cross-sector leadership (community developers and artists) to address community issues with arts-based strategies. This series assembled groups in each of the three target communities (Milan, St. James, and Worthington). They also added a fourth group to focus on their organization itself as they worked for three weekends on a series of trainings to ideate, research, and develop a logic model for a project addressing community issues. This process generated the initial projects for the Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership, creating momentum for at least 15 projects by the end of 2018.

Lesson 3: Defining Relationships

Leading with shared values can amplify the mutual benefits for both sides of an artist-community development collaboration. Some of the sites developed internal guidelines for their arts work that detailed their values and criteria and engaged artists as thought partners in developing new project ideas, not just responding to existing project ideas. These were both a revelation and a release, providing an opportunity for new ways of expression, resident engagement, and problem solving that were much different from their usual rule-driven playbook.

With their project frameworks in mind, the groups had to make decisions about when and where to deploy artists, and had to create the structural openings for any processes that engaged artists. Hiring an artist may sound like a good idea, but these groups learned that to engage with artists on a long-term basis meant developing specific internal structures and adopting common procedures within the arts world.

The different types of projects and initiatives deployed by the six organizations required distinct relationship structures:

• shorter-term collaborations, often categorized as commissions;
• open/responsive collaborations, often considered partnerships as formalized through memorandums of understanding; and
• major design and planning undertakings, carried out through artist residencies and designs for capital projects with contracts which address in greater detail the expectations for each partner’s contributions.

To collaborate successfully, the organizations had to demonstrate their respect for the artists’ and arts groups’ skills and expertise, educate themselves about integrating these structures into their programming, institute fair-wage pay scales, and assign—and more critically, have a dialogue with artists about—shared language and expectations. Above all, they had to lead with their values, vision for the work, and open minds.

Artist Residencies

Through artist-in-residence programs, host organizations can provide artists with time, space, and other supports to engage in community-based work. 8 Five of the six organizations ended up considering, and then, pursuing formal residency programs, in order to anchor and situate their artist collaborators within their place-based community development work. Different models of artist residencies were engaged, but primarily these programs had artists playing a curatorial role in public programming and community engagement.

Residencies can bring new perspectives to either external or internal opportunities in this kind of initiative. Some of the artists, such as those working with Little Tokyo Service Center and its partners described below, created new pieces or performances that extended the reach, impact and insights of their hosts’ political and cultural strategy. But other artists turned their attention to the host organizations. Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership hired Ashley Hanson as an in-house artist-in-residence to integrate arts and culture into the DNA of the organization, promoting collaborative practice across teams and departments.

Partnerships with Arts Institutions

Beyond relationships with individual artists, the sites also formed, or strengthened, more informal but critical partnerships with major arts institutions and cultural organizations.

Aligning with local museums and cultural centers can lend community developers credibility and expertise, boost their visibility, connect them to new artists, and generate new audiences for creative placemaking endeavors. Little Tokyo Service Center had prior experience working with local institutions dating back to the late 1990s when they renovated a former church building, transforming it into the Union Center for the Arts. In 2018, they ran a residency program in Little Tokyo on the theme of “community control and self-determination” with four of their longstanding partners—Japanese American National Museum, the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center, Visual Communications (a media arts company), and Sustainable Little Tokyo. Each partner group served as a primary host for one of the selected artists. Leaning into their role as a convener, Little Tokyo Service Center helped to increase cohesiveness among these arts institutions by circumventing competitive barriers, deepening present and future collaborations, and normalizing the practice of sharing expertise, contacts, and resources.

Lesson 4: Overcoming Challenges

At the outset, the community developers did not necessarily know what they wanted out of the partnership with artists or how to seek it, and the artists did not know how to work in this environment. Failing early made the collaborative work more powerful later on. This openness and experimental mindset may be familiar advice for social change agents and entrepreneurial nonprofit leaders, but it only becomes real through new, shared experiences.

The multiyear interventions pursued by the selected community development organizations were not without friction and periodic roadblocks. Participants in the arts and community development sectors brought their own styles of working, priorities with respect to project outcomes, and approaches to conflict resolution. Throughout the program, all six organizations had to accept feedback, learn from missteps and blind spots, and establish best practices for working with artists moving forward. Early failures were often stepping stones toward meeting more ambitious objectives.

CDI participants often reflected on how important it was to:

• Identify a common language and shared goals with artists
• Work to increase transparency and consistency in communication
• Demonstrate more patience during the initial pilot phase of the program (a precursor to deeper and longer-term partnerships)
• Test internal boundaries and flexibility with respect to deadlines and deliverables
• View partnership as mutually beneficial with both sides sharing their creativity and resources

Friction should be expected. Being transparent, flexible, and patient helps to mitigate conflict; mediation from an outside arts intermediary can also bridge perceived gaps.

Lesson 5: Sustaining the Work

Sustaining arts and culture work over the long term is a different challenge from embarking upon it, but the learned ability through experimentation to translate the outcomes of their work and maintain a wide net of partners has helped.

All participants report that the challenges of sustaining this work are different from the ones they faced as implementers. The CDI award was a one-time opportunity, so the maintenance of a strong arts and culture presence will require consistent commitment and creativity as well as new fundraising. The groups have been able to transfer their recently honed best practices and their expanded networks in the arts sector to support the development of new arts partners, projects, and communities, in many instances raising new resources and keeping a wide range of their staff members engaged. The fundraising was successful when they were able to demonstrate that they were equipped and committed to use cultural strategies to become more effective anchor institutions for their communities. They have come away with a more sophisticated and reflective understanding of the potential of arts and culture to amplify their mission-driven community development work.

Alexis Stephens

, Senior Communications Associate, delivers messages about racial and economic equity to advocates, policymakers, and media members within the PolicyLink network and beyond. She provides strategic communications support to the All-In Cities, National Equity Atlas, and Arts, Culture, and Equitable Development teams. She also contributes writing and research to a research and documentation project about integrating arts and culture strategies into community development practices, in partnership with ArtPlace America. Alexis was a 2019 Next City Vanguard and prior to joining PolicyLink, was Next City’s 2014-2015 equitable cities fellow. She holds a master’s degree in historic preservation from the University of Pennsylvania.

1. The themes of this essay are expanded upon, with many examples drawn from the CDI communities, in the May 2019 PolicyLink brief, Working with Artists to Deepen Impact , May 2019. Accessible at www.communitydevelopment.art

2. All three definitions are from Center for Performance and Civic Practice, Effective Partnering: Starting with Values, Goals and Vision, May 17, 2017, https://www.artplaceamerica.org/view/pdf?f=/sites/default/files/public/pictures/cpcp_low.pdf .

3. Kofi Boone, “Disembodied Voices, Embodied Places: Mobile Technology, Enabling Discourse, and Interpreting Place,” Landscape and Urban Planning 142 (2015): 217-226, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282487456_Disembodied_voices_embodied_places_Mobile_technology_enabling_discourse_and_interpreting_place .

4. Amber Art & Design, Strawberry Mansion Community Engagement: Cultural Asset Mapping and Gateway Conceptual Planning 2017-2018 , October 15, 2018.

5. Americans for the Arts, Abridged Call for Artists Guidelines , 2009, https://www.americansforthearts.org/sites/default/files/pdf/2013/by_program/networks_and_councils/public_art_network/CallforArtistsGuide_Abridged.pdf .

6. Compensating artists and arts groups was a key value of the CDI program and an important best practice that affirms the importance of their contributions.

7. Susan Carter, memorandum to PolicyLink, December 2018.

8. Maria Rosario Jackson, “Brief Reflections on Artist Residencies in Community Contexts,” CONSUMPTION (project), Asian Arts Initiative, accessed March 19, 2019, http://asianartsinitiative.org/consumption/essay-by-maria-rosario-jackson-ph-d .

10 ways to introduce art into your community

Here are our top ten ways to get creative and brighten up your community. If you'd like any further advice on how to set any of these up, get in touch with our network!

1. Yarn bombing

Yarn bombers brighten up their neighbourhoods overnight , turning drab, grey areas into public galleries of textile arts. Learning to knit is easier and more relaxing than you might think! It can also be a great way to meet people, through ‘Knit and Natter’ groups. Save money by unravelling old woolly jumpers or asking for clothes donations. There is no ‘right or wrong’ as long as you keep safe, stay within the law and ‘do no harm’.

2. Temporary community art installations

Take inspiration from Scarecrow Festivals , which are a great way to get residents to share materials and skills. Anyone can take part and the whole community can enjoy the displays, which often remain in place for a week. Share the idea over a cuppa and see what response you get. Once interest begins to grow, talk to a local councillor to get advice and support.

3. Semi-permanent transformations

You can create low-cost installations using mosaics . Broken crockery and mirrors are great upcycled materials and create stunning results. If you are planning something beyond your own doorstep, then permission or support from the local council and local residents could be essential.

Mosaic wall mural in Liverpool, Eden Project Communities.jpg

4. face painting.

Always popular at community events, face painting is a great way to engage young people and create fun, temporary body art . If you’re not sure how to find a local artist, try contacting local nurseries, schools or community centres, who should be able to offer recommendations. Or buy some face paints and small free-standing mirrors so children can create their own masterpiece!

5. Murals and graffiti

Become the next Banksy and make your street into a place where art can be enjoyed by everyone . Graffiti and wall art is becoming more and more common in rural communities, as well as in cities. Artwork doesn’t have to be permanent; some artists create works on large sheets of paper using water-based paints and paste the design onto a wall, where it is gradually degraded by the weather.

Reverse graffiti is a growing trend, where the picture is created by removing the dirt from the surface of a wall, revealing the intended design. The effects can be stunning – and you can’t be told off for cleaning a wall!

Community art mural in Woolwich, Eden Project Communities.jpg

6. Moss graffiti

A greener way to brighten up the neighbourhood . There is a great guide to moss graffiti on the Instructables website. Attach your template to the wall and use paintbrushes to apply the ‘moss mixture’, made up of buttermilk, water and sugar.

Moss graffiti, Eden Project Communities.jpg

7. Upcycle and recycle

You can use all kinds of items to decorate and animate your local area . Plant flowers in teapots, handbags, welly boots, bike baskets and old paint tins to add colour to your street.

8. Public action

Installations are a powerful and effective way to get a message across in the public arena . Art has the ability to reach people at deeper emotional levels, conveying what cannot be said with mere facts.

For example, in Turkey, hundreds of people turned out to repaint the ‘rainbow’ steps, which were covered in grey by the local authority, after #resiststeps trended on Twitter.

9. Festival of Colours

Holi, the Hindu religious festival , has inspired many popular events in the UK. The Colour Run is a 5km run-jog-walk event that raises money for charitable causes, ending in a colour festival, with joyful explosions of coloured powder, to promote health and happiness.

The Colour of Time at Cast Doncaster – photo James Mulkeen, Eden Project Communities 1000px.jpg

10. Street décor

Decorating your street for special events like The Big Lunch can be dramatic, playful and fun to create . The Big Lunch favourite, bunting, can be made by people of all ages and abilities, and paper chains can be made easily from old magazines and leaflets. What a difference it makes!

street-party-bunting.jpg

Art is good for our communities, and artistic collaboration is a bonding experience. We make art together, not just because of the changes it can bring to the world around us, but because of the way it changes us internally. Tatiana Makovkin, Creative Resistance

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