"Art today is a new kind of instrument, an instrument for modifying consciousness and organizing new modes of sensibility”
- Susan Sontag
When I began this project in August, I came upon a quote that perfectly embodied my perception of the art world:
"Most art is still bound up in ideas of exclusivity, both in the individual nature of each work and the elitism associated with its ownership—a concept that sidelines the essential communicative purpose of art, sacrificing it to private ownership and economic value. The art market has become soulless. The alternatives? Either art loses itself in a cult of empty exclusivity, or it turns to its audience."
How did we get here, where art loses the motive of sensibility and turns to a division of cultures? How do we redress the divide in a world that seems more polarized every day?
ABOUT ME
A bit more about me: I have grown up around art, with some of my earliest memories being forays into new painting exhibits or watching late rehearsals of "La Fille du Régiment". I have studied ballet for nine years and photography for four years. I was largely introduced to the DFW art scene through my grandparents and their siblings. My grandmother, LaLonnie Lehman is a professor of costume design and brought me into the performing arts; my great aunt introduced me to visual art through her personal collection and her work with the DMA. I was extremely fortunate to be raised in these circumstances with such strong artistic influences, informing my passion for opening up similar experiences for early art education for as many people as possible.
A SPECIAL THANKS TO MY INTERVIEWEES FOR THIS PROJECT:
Letitia Huckaby, Local Artist
Nathan Olson, Co-Concertmaster with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra
Jessica Fuentes, Local Artist and Art Educator
Thomas Feulmer, Director of Educational Programming with the Rachofsky House
Valerie Gillespie, Director of Visual and Performing Arts at The Winston School
Peggy Speir, Manager of Access Programs and Resources at Amon Carter Museum
Katlyn Bowen, Art Educator with the Amon Carter Museum
Deedie Rose, DMA Trustee and Art Collector
Asami Robledo-Allen Yamamoto, Community Engagement Coordinator at Kimbell Art Museum