In This Special Issue
ars quo vadis?
From the beginning, Art (the Arts) was relegated to the periphery of the
"manifest destiny" American civilization, even in the face of the great
merchandising of Art that has taken place in the past 50 years. The one
spread of hope has been the commitment on the part of higher educators to
teach the experience of the arts and the humanities in a fundamental and
priceless effort—to develop individuals with a broad world perspective, with
compassion, with empathy, with civility, with an understanding of what used
to be called, "the human condition." This commitment has been under severe
attack in the American education system for the past 25 years, and especially
during the eight ‘Bush’ years of no-nothingness and anti-intellectualism.
Bubba has ruled and Bubba-ism is now the ‘educated’ religion of half of the
American population.
Michael Bettencourt
An Embarrassing Surprise?
"I'm shocked, shocked to find that schooling is going on
in here!" (with apologies to Claude Rains, Julius
Epstein and Casablanca). I would argue that American
schools have done such a mixed job in educating their
students because they have been trying to serve split
masters (as they have done since the days of Horace
Mann).
Miles David Moore
Confessions of a Journalism Major
"I have taught on every level of education in 50 years
of classrooms, from kindergarten to grad school and
beyond, and I know one truth: that knowledge which can
be measured and tested may get a paycheck and may be
useful, but it is not the answer to a happy and
liberated life."
Nathan Thomas
The Needs Study
It all started when the official said, "You have to do a
needs study." These few, cheap words began a thinking
process that has occupied my mind and time for months.
(Years?) The simplicity of the concept of the needs
study masks the insidious nature of the needs study for
the artist. In a very simple sense, no one needs the
arts.
Karren Alenier
Art On the Periphery
As a poet, I am intimately familiar with how people in
the United States of America treat my artistic pursuit.
Most Americans do not read books, let alone partake in
the art of reading, writing, or listening to poetry.
Upon being introduced as a poet, the conversation has
gone something like this, "But how do you earn money?"
Lia Beachy
Dreaming the Dream
An appreciation for a Picasso goes well beyond a
superior aesthetic. One of the most telling signs of the
lack of arts education in school systems and
society-at-large today is the slow death of civility. At
one time on this planet, when most human beings were
slaves or serfs, the daily struggle,
the class system and organized religion kept people in
their place.
Claudine Jones/RichYurman
Handbaskets
The masters of this society have decided we need low
skill, poorly paid workers, docile, unable to think
critically or read with any depth of understanding,
easily distracted with scandals and shallow
entertainments. Roman Bread and Circuses. Yet we retain
the belief that the humanities are the yeast for a new
rising; for better bread and more profound circuses.
Les Marcott
In Fuller Appreciation
Assuming that noted writer and editor Mark Slouka's
assumption about the arts and humanities is correct: his
argument essentially being that the humanities have
taken a backseat to the hard sciences all in the quest
of retaining our competitive advantage in the global
marketplace, what can be done if anything to remedy the
situation?
Janine Yasovant
The Flame of the Arts in Thailand
In the Thai education system, business administration
competes strongly with science and technology for both
government and corporate support. Money buys
workers and these are the employees who get the high-paying
jobs and the better standard of living. The lure is
right there on the internet, on their television sets,
in their mobile phones. (also in Thai)
Elliot Feldman
Comics from the Old Hippy
Evolution and Devolution
Scene4's Next Regular Issue Online February 1st
Other Special Issues
THE ONE
January 2009
WHAT IS ART?
January 2008
VIEW OF THE ARTS/2007
January 2007
THE ART OF SEX IN THE ARTS
February 2006
STATE OF THE ART OF THE ARTS
October 2005
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