Our Cultural Responsibility

By Grace Nikae

As we head into the summer of 1996, it is vital for all of us to consider the place the arts have in our society.

There is no doubt that New York City is the cultural capital of the United States. With Broadway, SoHo, Museum Mile,Carnegie Hall, and Lincoln Center, the city is filled with artists, actors, and musicians.

This great metropolis is always busy with exhibitions, productions, and concerts which showcase their work.

Perhaps the most unique feature of these arts is its accessibility. Students have the opportunity to see the Brancusi exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, Evgeny Kissin at Carnegie Hall, and Placido Domingo at the Metropolitan Opera House.

Yet, many of us do not take advantage of the cultural and artistic atmosphere of this city. Although the popularity of Broadway never seems to be in danger of fading away, there seems to be a lack of similar enthusiasm for classical music concerts and art exhibitions. This may be the reason why the conservative members of Congress view the NEA as an expendable budget item.et, many of us do not take advantage of the cultural and artistic atmosphere of this city. Although the popularity of Broadway never seems to be in danger of fading away, there seems to be a lack of similar enthusiasm for classical music concerts and art exhibitions. This may be the reason why the conservative members of Congress view the NEA as an expendable budget item.

Why does such a big discrepancy exist between the public's appreciation for the classical arts and its regard for television and other symbols of pop culture? One of the main reasons may be the antiquated image that the arts has, especially among young people today.

The people living in 1996 may have a difficult time relating to and understanding the works of Shakespeare, Goya, Degas, Mozart, Beethoven. The genius behind their artistic achievements, however, is timeless.

Love, joy, sadness, anger, betrayal, anguish -- these are the emotions that are communicated through artist's plays, paintings, and symphonies.

The power of great art is this last element because it unites all readers, observers, and listeners and elevates their spirits to a higher level of sensitivity and awareness. The young performers and artists of today also have an important role to play in reversing this mistaken outdated image.

Music and art is about communication and interpretation. It is the artist's responsibility to bring fresh insight to these works, to study and analyze to the best of their abilities so that hidden nuances and subtleties are brought to light and that these pieces are performed with new life.

Another reason for the lack of interest in the arts is the prevailing view that one should go to concerts and plays in order to be entertained.

Certainly, audiences should enjoy what they are seeing and hearing and come away from the show with a feeling of pleasure. But if this is the sole reason why people attend these performances, then they are missing out on an entire dimension of what artistic creativity actually has to offer.

The audience should focus not so much on being regaled or amused but rather on being educated. The arts are not simply about pleasing aesthetics; they are about complex human expression, about ideas and beliefs which have shaped our civilization.

Much about life, our artistic heritage, and our surrounding world can be learned and understood through them.

Supporters of NEA cutbacks demonstrate a lack of appreciation for artistic imagination and its importance in a democratic nation. The questioning of society, the exploration of all aspects of humanity, the expression of the individual spirit form the essential core of the arts.

A nation that does not recognize this is denying its people creative means to progress toward a higher level of civilization. Freedom of expression provides a link between art and our national development. One cannot happen without the other.