But, whatever the case, I still don't understand why people are so pissed off at this Michael Kaiser HuffPo Article.
So, the President of the John F. Kennedy Center for performing arts says that young people are culturally ignorant. He says that we need to inject money into the school systems to raise the level of arts knowledge in the populous. He says that is the way that his organization thinks it can best draw in some of the younger crowd.
Now, some of what he is saying, I can totally agree with. I lived it. The rest of his argument does not come as a surprise to me. Its the same old shit. Nothing that he said, provoked anger in me.
It is no secret that we need more funding for arts education in this country.
When I was growing up in Logan Square, in Chicago, our arts education program was a weekly, half and hour of arts and crafts. We made turkeys, and valentines, and stockings. That was my arts class. I think we took a trip to the Art Institute of Chicago, once. Other than that though, there wasn't much in the way of Arts education.
Classical music, theatre, museums, dance, opera, that was something for white people. That was something that was so far removed from my world that it wasn't relevant to my existence. I mean, for Christ sake, I went to WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART ELEMENTARY and never heard classical music in school! For many people, that are growing up the way that I did, that is still the case. Teaching kids about the arts is a good thing. I can get on board with this.
The second part of his argument, the one that really pissed everyone else off, where he basically claims what culture and good Art is and should be, really didn't bother me. Not in the slightest.
When you grow up as a minority, in this country. You grow up in two worlds. The White one, and the one you come from.
I've had people tell me my entire life what REAL culture was. Baseball, Apple Pies and Chevrolet. So hearing from some powerful white man that I, as an artist, am not producing anything good doesn't bother me BECAUSE I WILL NEVER PRODUCE ANYTHING THAT HE OR PEOPLE LIKE HIM WOULD EVEN CONSIDER TO BE ART.
When does La India Maria get her show at the Kennedy Center? Will Cantinflas be in the Smithsonian any time soon? Mana, El Tri, and El Buki, will they ever be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of fame?
Michael Kaiser's culture has never been my culture. Not all of it anyway. And when you spend your entire life being told that the culture you have at home, is different from the culture in the world around you, you really don't care what people like Michael Kaiser have to say about anything. Instead of getting all bent out of shape, what we, as artist, should do is to keep on doing.
Make what you want. Do what makes you happy. Who gives a fuck what some old, rich, white guy has to say about anything?
Granted, I have 29 years of experience ignoring that shit so it maybe easier for me to not give a fuck than you.
I think, you know, the part that pissed people off was that he basically said that nobody else's art was important. He said that none of the contemporary directors or theatres are worth anything. "If the kids don't know who Caruso is, then they're culturally stupid" was his message. Well what about The Nine? What about The Mammals? What about WNEP? What about Cambiare Productions or The Right Brain Project?
ReplyDeleteKaiser essentially said that nobody else is worthy of being defined as "culture", except for the things he says.
And that's what's offensive, I think.
But yeah, I agree with you: do whatever the fuck makes you happy. If it ain't making you happy, you're wasting your time.
Being told that my art, or my culture is not important is not new to me. I guess that is the point I am trying to make.
ReplyDeleteSo, he said it this time, and threw all of those people you mentioned under the bus. That has been happening to minority communities for decades. I guess that is the point I am trying to make.