The Healing Arts

Do we as artists truly want to be designated as the ultimate final solution in solving the chaos of our society?

Local government, academia and religious institutions may have failed to find a social direction thus far. But ultimately they will continue their quest--that is their reason to exist!

The artist exists to create art from an individual vision, from individual or collaborative creativity depending on the form in question.

Healing society is a political agenda that some artists will find inspirational. Artists are historically recruited for political agendas but are also historically (and quite recently) condemned for making artistic statements that do not fit the political agenda of the moment. Beware the hand that feeds you.

Arts monies have now been made available for “healing.� Adolfo V. Nodal, manager of the city’s Cultural Affairs Department, says he “would much rather do something in a neighborhood, in an empty lot somewhere, than in a major theater.� That is fine for “healing art.� The problem is that this vision doesn’t change significantly in regard to professional theater artists and the practice of their craft.

So how about some support for the “artistic,� above and beyond any political agenda? Only then will there be any truthful sociological artistic statement, for it will be coming unconditionally from the artist.

CHARLES BERLINER

Santa Monica