“I found that I could say things with color and shapes that I had no words for.”
—Georgia O’Keeffe, artist
“Our schools must be concerned about developing the intellectual and spiritual strengths and judgments that knit together the very fabric of our society, and that foster a common culture, especially in a country that prides itself on pluralism and individual freedom.”
—Scott Matheson, Governor of Utah
“…art establishes the basic human truths which must serve as the touchstone of our judgment.”
—John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States
“The teaching of the arts and the humanities in our schools is essential to all of us. Our ability to communicate effectively, the growth and vitality of our cultural institutions, and the preservation of our cultural heritage, all depend upon understanding and appreciating the pivotal role of the arts and the humanities in developing a truly literate society.”
—Andrew Haiskell, Chairman, President’s Committee on Arts and the Humanities; Chairman of the Board, Time, Inc.
“The true artist, like the true scientist, is a researcher using materials and techniques to dig into the truth and meaning of the world in which he himself lives; and what he creates, or better perhaps, brings back, are the objective results of his explorations. The measure of his talent, of his genius, if you will, is the richness he finds in such a life’s voyage of discovery.”
—Paul Strand, photographer
“…we must carry arts to the people, not wait for the people to come to the arts.”
—Arthur Mitchell, choreographer and founder, The Dance Theater of Harlem
“A community whose life is not irrigated by art and science, by religion and philosophy, day upon day, is a community that exists half alive.”
—Lewis Mumford, critic
“The highest purpose of art is to inspire.”
—Bob Dylan, singer
“Art is the objectification of feelings.”
—Susanne Langer, aesthetician and educator
“…all art is the expression of one and the same thing — the relation of the spirit of man to the spirit of other men and to the world.”
—Ansel Adams, photographer
“Mankind’s most enduring achievement is art. At its best, it reveals the nobility that coexists in human nature along with flaws and evils, and the beauty and truth it can perceive. Whether in music or architecture, literature, painting or sculpture, art opens our eyes and ears and feelings to something beyond ourselves, something we cannot experience without the artist’s vision and the genius of his craft.”
—Barbara Tuchman, Pulitzer Prize winning historian