beauty-truth-goodness-mystery-by-stephen-crotts-300x300In 2004 the National Endowment for the Arts released an extensive study looking at the percentage of the population that read literature – fiction in particular – for fun, not obligation. The study went deeper and looked at the correlation between reading extraneously and a person’s participation in “civic events”. There was a surprising result. Those who read for fun were 18 to 32 percent more likely to participate in a civic or cultural event, like visit an art museum or attend sporting events. The percentages for younger Americans were the worst. The study stated, “The trends among younger adults warrant special concern, suggesting that – unless some effective solution is found – literary culture, and literacy in general, will continue to worsen.” The report went further in summarizing, “at the current rate of loss, literary reading as a leisure activity will virtually disappear in half a century.”

What does this tell us about the arts and our humanity? First, fiction was a factor. What is fiction? Stories…art, in this case the art of a story, a narrative. Second, people who read fiction voluntarily – under no obligation other than for fun – were more likely to be out and about among their fellow human beings. The opposite makes this clearer – those who didn’t read fiction, or even read fiction under obligation were less likely to be publicly active in their communities. If what the study states about the future occurs 50 years from now – leisure reading “virtually disappearing” – what do you suppose will happen to the participation of citizens in public activities in this country? Will we become more human or less human?

Friday Arts Project’s desire is to call forth our community’s humanity by encouraging participation in the arts in all its forms. If more people in our neighborhoods were involved voluntarily in artistic activities could we not see more people involved in the life of our cities? The NEA study was based on reading not the broader arts. But I would not be surprised if there was a correlation in the visual and creative arts and civic participation as well.

This past September marked the 15th anniversary of 9-11. At the time I was a citizen of New York City, living in Mid-town Manhattan. I will always remember that day. In the weeks after that surreal tragedy my friend, painter, Mako Fujimura and his studio mate, Hiroshi Senju opened a portion of their studio as a gallery called “Tribeca Temporary”. For seven months Mako & Hiroshi and fellow artists (like James Elaine, Billy Basinski, Gretchen Bender and others) showed works and did performances as a way to “work out” grieving the horror of what had happened only 7 blocks south of the gallery. I will never forget the final show that was a collaboration between Mako and Albert Pedulla. They constructed a modern take on the Japanese “Tea House” – the tea house being a symbol of peace in that culture.

In was during that time of processing the 9-11 tragedy through art that we become more human and invited our friends to do that same. Interestingly enough within the year Mako was appointed to the board of the National Endowment for the Arts by President Bush. Art…creativity, instigating civic involvement.

So, friends, consider joining us in our creative endeavors. Invite others. You may find on the other side that you become more human, just as your neighbor does standing beside you.

Peace,
Kirk Irwin