BYAAC P.S.A.A: Ky’Mera Pauling Introduction!

A Message to the World 

I imagined that I suddenly had the attention of the whole world. What would I  say if I  knew that people were truly listening?If I had five minutes to let the world know what matters most to me as an artist… What needs to change? What would I  say if I knew that someone was truly listening and that change was possible.

Art is so valuable. It’s such a strong tool for connection and understanding. And it’s so sad that so many people, old and young, think they can’t pursue it in a meaningful way. They think they can’t make “good” art, “real” art. But it’s all valid. They think they can’t make a living from it, or they can’t benefit from the release it provides, and that’s not true. We need to make a world where everyone can appreciate art for all the beauty and power it holds. 

Our school systems must undergo significant reform. There has never been a time when I needed to find the standard deviation of a binomial probability in real life. But they teach it, and yet, we can’t find time in every school schedule for children to indulge in their natural inclinations.  While fields like science and math are undeniably important, there are often droughts of new discoveries. This is never the case for art. There’s always room to create something new, something no one else has ever thought of.

Most people can’t even find work creating in their medium, because the fine arts world is so competitive and restricted. Schools for the fine arts are so limited. The world should not be this way. Talented people are living on the streets, trying to sell their work to survive, and they still can’t. Why don’t we value each other? Why don’t we value art? Did you know Van Gogh struggled nearly his whole adulthood and did not make a dime from his work while he was alive? That’s insane. 

In a world that thrives off of consumerism. Our artists should be thriving.

I believe that the root of these issues is a systemic devaluing of the arts as an academic career/pursuit that begins with schools and ends with a society that thinks it is okay not to pay artists for their time or the work that they do.  And in the wake of all this art still finds a way to provide. It provides unity and beauty to the fight for change. Some artists make whole works for protest, for movements, to make bold statements about what’s going on. Music for the ears, clothing for the body, painting for the eyes, food for the soul. Art is culture. Art is beauty. Art is emotion. Art is timeless. Art is so powerful.We deserve to be validated in our choice to pursue college and careers in the arts. 

We are counting on you, our parents, community, school decision-makers and legislators  to commit to making this a reality for the next generation of artists coming out of Baltimore City schools!