Place for Art / Art for Place
Dorsey James
July 21, 2003

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We, from the time we first set foot upon this planet, were privy to feelings that are shared with all of human kind. We are creatures of profound feeling.

We feel pain.
We feel pleasure.
We hunger and thirst
We are sated
We are agitated
We are at peace
We are attracted
We are repulsed
We love
We hate

These universal feelings reach across racial, cultural and social barriers. These feelings touch on the very core of our being. These feelings are us.

Art is the means by which we express these feelings. It is the universal language that has the capacity to transmit our experiences across space, time and even perception to that stranger who seeks to understand who, what, when, where, why and how we feel.

Art in our place provides us with a source and reminiscence of human insight about our world and about our selves.

When we share as a group; when we cooperate and participate for the mutual good we become community. Community is defined as an experience that is fundamental to our sense of identity and is the dwelling place of our being. It reflects our culture and our collective social values.

So, why do we need art in our place?

We need art in our place because we as individuals as well as a community have a need to feel who we were and to feel who we are. We need to share our social identities to encourage more meaningful and longer lasting relationships. We need to promote wider acceptance and deeper understanding of our cultural diversity. The art in our place assists our community place in achieving this goal.

Art in our place is the block from which we carve the elation and pathos of our past. Art in our place is the canvas on which we paint our hopes and our dreams for tomorrow.

Art in our place is the pit and the stage from which our spirits, together, soar on wings of melody. Art in our place is the parchment on which we, collectively, sear with quill inked with passion…. this timeless declaration:

I AM FOR ALL YE, NOW AND THEN TO KNOW, I AM.