The Arts are not a easy way to make a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable. Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly is a way to make your soul grow for Heaven's sakes. Sing in the shower, dance to the radio, tell stories, write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possibly can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something.
Kurt Vonnegut, A Man Without a Country, Daniel Simon (ed.),
Seven Stories Press, NYC, NY
We asked a question last month. We asked it loudly, pestering everyone within ear-eyeshot. Here it is:
Given our world, our North American culture and society, what is the best way to train artists? How are those who "have the calling" most suitably prepared to understand art, art history, the ethics of the studio, of the art world, criticism and on and on? Is academia the best way? If so, with what sort of curriculum? Studio? Liberal Arts? Is apprenticeship a better system? What about a reawakening of the atelier system?
In short, how should creativity be skilled?
This is, on one level, a useful exercise for art-oriented kids and their parents. However our interest in this question reflects a larger view. This gets to the essence of artists' relationships with this North American world in which they live, work, thrive or not. How should the creative be prepare?
We received answers from artists (they had a lot to say); teachers (just two, surprisingly); art journalists, those in art related industry and general supporters. The articles are arranged in in several categories to make all the diverse ideas easier to consume. It may be best to simply print out the articles, lie down on your comfortable bed, and read them a bit at a time. There are some very considered answers here and, to loosely paraphrase Mr. Vonnegut, you will be rewarded enormously.
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Obsessively updated regularly. Last update: June 13 , 2007