IsabellaOrtiz

Mrs.Fogelson
Composition101
18March2016
TextualAnalysis
Sincethebeginningofhumandevelopment,arthasmadeatremendousimpactintheway
humansdevelop.ArtcanbetracedbacktotheStoneAgewherecavepaintingsoffertility
goddessesanddailylifewherecreated.Sincethenarthasevolvedintoalivingbreathingpartof
humanitythatdevelopsandinfluencestheworldarounduswitheachpassingera.Artwill
alwaysbeanimportantpartofcultureandthereforeshouldbeinvestedinaccordingly.Many
advocatesforarthavespokenupabouttherealculturalimpactithasandhavegiveneloquent
speechesonitsimportance.Twosuchadvocates,ThelmaGoldenandWyntonMarsalis,discuss
artsimportanceandtheroleittendstoplaywheninstitutingsocialchangeintheirrespective
speeches.
AstheDirectorandChiefCuratorofTheStudioMuseuminHarlem,NYC,Thelma
Goldeniswellversedinhowartchangesandaffectsdifferentgroupsofpeople,especiallyinthe
UnitedStates.In2009,GoldengaveaTEDtalktitledHowArtGivesShapetoCultural
Changewhereshediscussedhowarthasaffectedthewaycommunities,specificallytheAfrican
Americancommunity,viewraceandtheirownculturalidentities.InAmerica,cohesivedialogue
betweencommunitiesorgroupsrarelyhappenandthisisdueinparttothesheernumberof
existingcommunities.Eachday,moreracesandethnicitiescoincidewitheachotherthus
mergingwhichcancauseproblemswiththeintroductionofproactivechange.Goldenarguesthat

artisthecatalystforchangeanditisthenecessaryspaceforimportantdialoguestooccur.Inher
exhibit,BlackMaleshelookedattheintersectionofraceandgenderincontemporary
Americanartwhichsoughttoexpressthewaysinwhichartcouldprovideaspace
for...complicateddialogue(Golden).Goldencontinuallyreferenceshercuratedworkandthe
workofotherartiststhatusetheirmediumtoevokedialogueandchange.Inessence,artisatool
usedtospreadactivismandtomakeachange.
Asevidenced,artisaveryimportantaspectoftheworldandthusmakingitaworthy
investment.WyntonMarsalis,inadditiontobeingarenownedtrumpeterandcomposer,isalso
theartisticdirectorofJazzatLincolnCenterinNewYorkCity.In2007,Marsalisaddressedthe
SubcommitteeonInterior,Environment,&RelatedAgenciesanddiscussedtheimportanceofart
onachildsdevelopmentandinsocietyasawhole.Hediscussedthefactthatartisonlyheavily
encourageduntilthethirdgrade.Ashestates,artformsarecreatedoutofapeoplesneedto
expresstheirattitudeaboutexistenceandlatelyarthasbeenonadownhillspiralwhichmaybe
attributedtotheartsunderrepresentationinachildsdevelopingyears(Marsalis).Intodaysday
andage,arthasbecomelessabouttraditionandmoreaboutculturalconsumption.Asawhole
weconfusecommercialsuccesswithartisticsuccesswhichiswhyMarsalisiscallingforan
investmentintrueart.Artasawholehasbeenunderappreciatedandunderfundedwhichis
detrimentaltoAmericasevolution.Fundamentally,Americahastochangeitsperceptionofart
andinsteadaimtoanalyzeartthatspeakstothepeople.
Throughouttheyears,arthasbeenseentoimpactsocietyinseveralways.Becauseof
howcomplexanddiverseartis,itsoverallimpactonAmericansocietycannotbepinpointed.
However,itiscertainlyevidentwithincommunitieswhereitsmembersareseekinganswersin

artandinnewpoliticalcampaignsthatspringupbecauseofartthatissuccessfulinopeningupa
dialogue.Arthassuchaprofoundimpactwhichiswhyitshouldbeencouragedandofferedto
theyouthoftoday.Inthisway,theyouthwillbeabletoexploreallthemediumsthatsurround
themtomakeachange.Thisishowsocietyultimatelyadvancesanditisatoolthatshouldbe
takenadvantageof.

WorksCited
Golden,Thelma.HowArtGivesShapetoCulturalChange.TED.TEDConferences,Apr.
2010.Web.19Mar.2016
Marsalis,Wynton.WrittenTestimonyinSupportofFY08AppropriationsfortheNational
EndowmentfortheArts.13Mar.2007.Reading.