News/Commentary by Ed Wallace, Publisher – September 7, 2023

A major Arts Festival is coming to Washington City in October. “All About Art” will be a free fine art celebration that will showcase world-class artists, fine art organizations, galleries and museums, and will include over 40 artist booths with art for sale, live art demonstrations, live music, artisan food, and prize drawings. Many of the gifted artists are icons from Southern Utah whose works are found in private and public collections both locally and around the world. 

This family-friendly festivity will be a rare opportunity for local residents to explore different forms of art and connect with artists and other art enthusiasts.

What to know about the event:

The day-long inaugural event will be held on October 7, 2023, from 9 AM–6 PM, in the heart of Washington City at Veterans Park, 75 E Telegraph St, Washington, UT 84780. It will be free to attend and is being produced by the Washington City Arts Council, co-sponsored by Washington City, and funded by the Washington City RAP Tax. More details can be found at allaboutartutah.com

As a show of support for this artfest, Washington City Mayor and City Council members are creating their own paintings on Friday, September 29, from 6:00 – 7:30 pm at the Relief Society Hall at 75 W Telegraph St. in Washington. These pieces of work will be silently auctioned at “All About Art,” with all proceeds donated to the Dove Center, a safe-shelter for clients who have been victimized by violence, rape, sex trafficking and stalking. 

Is art important? Are you?

All of us are a work of art, and all of us artists, in some way. We, as human beings, are creators who produce things: objects, thoughts and actions. Through meaningful choices, we all conceptualize and create the best life we can for ourselves, and we alone bear the full responsibility for the choices we’ve made. By using this ultimate creative principle, we create a subjectively beautiful and unique life that is distinctive and personal. Like viewing great art in a museum, we can transform the self, creating an artist, and a lover of life. 

Art is a testimony of the human condition, the way in which we perceive ourselves and the world around us. Our values, beliefs, traditions and lifestyle all radiate through what we produce as art. Art encompasses all of our emotions, our perceptions, questions and decisions, hatred and love, life, hardships, and death. Through art, we learn to see the beauty of life and of each other.

Every aspect of humanity can be expressed through art. Like ourselves, art can’t be dictated nor contained by anything. Like us, creativity isn’t limited by its resources.

Art and Life

Whether we know it or not,  we are surrounded by art that influences us on a continual basis. Art is everywhere and plays a huge role in our lives. We rely on art in all of its forms by surrounding ourselves with music, videos, paintings, pictures of our ancestors, that all create an atmosphere that we want to live in. Art affects our mood in a positive way, making us feel happier, calmer, or even inspired to do something. Art and music can make make life extremely joyful and can convince us of the eternal joy of existence

How many times have you looked at Grandma’s beautifully patterned quilt on the bed, or the cute pink heart covered teapot that belonged to your great-Aunt? Have you felt warmth, appreciation, or a sense of joy? Or, how about the modern computer case on your desk, or the figurines on the kitchen windowsill? Are these things personable to you? Are you motivated by the poster on the wall with the positive affirmation or quote? Did the print of the Hollywood actress or rock star motivate you to go to the gym? Has listening to music ever kept your energy up, or relaxed you? Have you ever been driving down the road and a song comes on the radio that triggers a memory? That memory is an individual link in the chain of your life. That song takes you back to that link. 

All of these “things” are considered a form of art. They might not be vital to our basic needs, but they do make life joyful and are personable to us. They are part of the common story of love, life and death, of awe and pain, that connects and unites us. Fashion, dance, music, film, architecture, paintings,and  prayers, all reveal the culture of people… the culture of us.

“Art functions as a portal to a deeper understanding of humans and the self. The authenticity in a painting or a piece of music is felt universally, because it resonates with the same essential being in the creator and the creation.”

Art and Children

All of us are naturally drawn to the arts as a form of communication and expression. Toddlers love to sing, draw, and dance. It’s a way for them to express themselves before they’re verbal. Research has shown that young people who participate in the arts are four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement later on. High school students in the U.S. who engage in the arts at school are twice as likely to volunteer than those who don’t. They are also 20% more likely to vote when they become young adults. 

Art programs in schools provide students with a creative outlet and promote critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Studies have shown that exposure to art in schools can improve academic performance, increase self-esteem, and even reduce stress levels.

Art in Society

The positive effects of  art encourage people to understand each other, to live together in harmony, and to act in favor of the construction of a common and universal home, animated by the spirit of freedom, equality, and unity. Art and culture can expose us to a multiplicity of possible futures. Culture is foundational. It is the soil from which our civilizations grow.

Art and History

The importance of art in society transcends far beyond borders or cultures and can’t be overstated. Humans have been involved in the creation of art since prehistoric times. Art and human history go hand-in-hand. This is why some people dedicate their lives to studying cave art and Shakespearean plays. Artists tell a story about the way people used to live and the things they found worthy of appreciation. 

We can study art to find out what those before us were facing and how they overcame it. In the same way, future generations will learn about our current events through the art we leave behind. By being passed from generation to generation, the arts keep the culture alive and inspire the younger members of the family.

Vibrant, rich and beautiful cultures are the bedrock of every strong nation. Cultures big and small unite through the arts to build better communities. Several case studies have actually demonstrated that art in rural communities specifically can help boost economic growth. Further, it strengthens the bonds between people in these places

Artists and their artworks have always been and always will be necessary for the functioning of human society.

They cultivate the taste of the public by enriching its spiritual and intellectual life. Works of art thus form a bridge between the artist (sender) and the public (receiver) on both an intellectual and spiritual level.

Artists often do not receive the respect they deserve, but they continue to enrich our lives and community with their beautiful works. The arts are as vital to the common man as they are to an extremely wealthy individual. 

Without art, life is bleak. Art is life itself. Life is art.

We should always strive to allow art, to stimulate art, to support art.

St(art) today.

Sources:

Art Is Life. Life Is Art. | Complex

Living life as an artist: Nietzsche on creativity

The Importance of Art in Daily Life – Fine Art Photography

Art and Life: A Metaphoric Relationship on JSTOR

How art and culture can help us rethink time – BBC Future

The Role of Art in Our Society

Art and Society – Humanities, Arts and Society

Importance of Art in Society:Benefits, Education, and Impact