The Arts and Communication

The arts community in Roanoke continues to provide me with opportunities to, as Socrates encouraged, examine my life and my personal philosophy. These past weeks have been filled with learning and awareness opportunities that challenge my own personal status quo as it relates to my world and my community.


I learned during a recent opening at Dialogue Gallery that I still have a ways to go in appreciating and understanding contemporary art.


I learned how Studio Roanoke is blurring the lines between real life and the actual set for their upcoming play "Ant Farm." I am sort of old-school that way and like my "fourth wall" clearly delineated, but it's good to push comfort zones.


I learned how electrical engineering and the arts intersect in the creation of new software programs while talking to a local software developer during the NewVA Corridor Technology Council annual meeting at the Hotel Roanoke.


I learned that the Columbine tragedy affected me more than I realized as I read Wally Lamb's epic novel "The Hour I First Believed."


And yes, I learned that I watch too much TV.


I knew of the "Must See TV" event, but was out of town serving on a grant panel for the Virginia Commission for the Arts. I could not foresee what would happen, but prior to the activity, it made me pause and reflect on my TV viewing habits.


The arts do that and I am grateful for their ability to remind me of what's important, where I fit in the scheme of things, why it's important to take a chance and connect to someone or something that is out of my comfort zone and, first and foremost, to stop for a moment and breath in life.


Yes, life is sometimes messy, catching us off-guard and making us think in new and challenging ways.


I learned that we must lend an extra hand to those organizations and individuals that might not quite get what we're all about, how the arts are really more about the communication that most often takes place between individuals trying to make sense of their world and where they fit in. This includes reaching across the aisles and inviting the non-usual suspects into our world, such as local government, law enforcement, religious organizations and youth groups.


I learned that The Arts Council of the Blue Ridge has work to do in regard to promoting and raising awareness about the arts in communicating different ideas, engaging the community in thoughtful and rigorous dialogues and encouraging the community to support the arts.


I think the participants in the "Must See TV" event also learned valuable lessons, as did our police force. I hope we can all continue to learn from this experience and from future activities that allow us to connect to each other in new ways, while pushing us to talk about difficult issues.

The arts are the vehicle in which to engage in these dialogues. Perhaps the unexpected will allow us to learn more about ourselves, not just today, but continuously as we experience the world together.