Closing the Divide

Royal Shakespeare Company, King Lear/The Seagull

The fine arts are a presence throughout the global community. They double as a method for deeper communication where languages would normally clash. The simple expression of an artist’s emotion into paint on a canvas is something that can be understood and felt by anyone. Whether the medium is paint or a composition of music, the fine arts can be used as a central gathering point within global societies

               Within the business realm, professionals search for ways to bring clients into a more personal business relationship. Frequently, both parties will attend restaurants and shows on Broadway as a way to relate. Using the fine arts in this sense creates concepts which can be discussed by the parties creating a bond between the two. Moving out of the business world, we can see that art is present throughout global communities. France has one of the largest art followings in the world. With such venues as the Louvre and the Opera theatre, Paris flows with artistic capabilities. One of the main reasons for the thriving arts society within the City of Light is that the government highly subsidizes the large arts organizations within. This allows for cheaper ticket pricing thus opening the doors to people of all classes and cultures. If we shift our gaze across the British channel to Britain herself, we can see yet another thriving center for the arts. With such organizations as the Royal Shakespeare Company performing beautiful works of theatre, we can see a reoccurring theme within our global community. But when we examine the arts within our homeland, we see that few have this utmost respect for the fine arts. In fact, many a time the fine arts go unappreciated for their capabilities within our culture. The ugly truth is that "At a time when creativity and communication skills are at a premium, arts should be used for their rich potential” (Riley).

               With the arts being a similarity between cultures, why are we not using it as a way to bring our very different worlds together? The answer is that there is no good explanation. If the United States government would subsidize more of the fine arts, we could help teach tolerance for other cultures in addition to pulling a country divided by cultures back together.

Marjorie Coeyman, Staff writer of The Christian,Science Monitor. (1998, Nov 24). National report card gives arts education mixed marks. The Christian Science Monitor, pp. 21-21. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/405630705?accountid=35779

Beck, Larry. Royal Shakespeare Company, King Lear/ the Seagull. 2007. Martin Professional, Denmark. Web. 26 Nov. 2011.

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