Will Arts Ever Be The Front Page? | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Entertainment

Will Arts Ever Be The Front Page?

The struggle of an artist in the world

23
Will Arts Ever Be The Front Page?
the mike stand

Will the arts ever be the front page? A question I frustratedly ask myself as I hear yet another comment about pursuing theatre for a career. I was taught from a pretty early age that the arts will pretty much always be overlooked. I think that my first year of high school solidified the struggle that would follow me for my entire life: the attempt to bring the arts to “center stage”. My first year of high school defined society's relationship with the arts in major ways for me. High school informed me quickly on how the arts get swept aside, how they are considered “play” or “fun”, and not “serious”. It made me realize that I’d always be flipping through the paper for the arts section, normally toward the back. That I may not be taken seriously, that I may be made fun of. Growing up in a community that values sports more than anything else isn’t the ideal environment for a budding artist. That being said, I think I did alright. That doesn’t take away from all the things the artist in me went through to find myself where I am today. It’s hard to look out into the audience of a high school auditorium and see ¼ of the students from the student section of last nights football game supporting your musical, concert, or dance show. It’s difficult to not be taken as seriously as the basketball players at your art show in the gym. It’s not easy to watch track athletes and soccer players leave school early for away games, but the crew of the school musical be denied early dismissal to finish the set for a performance that night. It is not easy to watch people push down the arts everywhere; in the real world, in the college world, in the halls of your high school. But that is exactly what makes the arts so incredibly admirable to me.

We all make it out. As artists, we are wired to push past the people who censor art, who push it away, who deny its importance. We make it out of the high school that spends money for coach buses for the football team and buys them states rings, but forgets about the jam packed theatre trophy case near the auditorium. We make it to another place. Perhaps a college or a university, where we can study what we love, surrounded by people who KNOW the worth of the things we love. People who realize it is not high school sports that will change the world, but art. People who have equal appreciation for students in all majors, in all activities, doing the things that they love. It’s passionate and outrageous and you can see the fire inside of every student whose realized that they’ve elbowed their way out of a daily struggle to have their voices heard. The oppression of the arts isn’t over for me. In life, pursuing the arts will always be one of the hardest things anyone can do, but if you have the passion and the commitment it will also be the most rewarding.

I’ve made it to my little haven of artistry. At school, in my program, everyone I’m surrounded by is an incredible artist. We all know that we will always be looked at by people in other majors as kids from “another world” because we take our shoes off in class and call our professors by their first name. But that doesn’t change the honest, soul searching, explosive work we do everyday. It doesn’t change the fact that I get to wake up every single day and be surrounded by the art and the artists that will change the world. I hope every kid from my high school who lies awake at night thinking of their future knows that there is a place for the young artists in the world to thrive, we just have to work hard to find it.

The arts will probably never be the front page. It’s something that I’ve learned to accept. There will always be people who think other things are more important. Who don’t want to accept the truth: that things like

Hamilton: The American Musical DO change the world. The world that ignorance thrives in, the world that is revolutionized everyday by artwork, theatre, literature, and music. It’s a shame that not everyone will ever be able to realize the importance of art. Some people will never realize the way that art explores new things, pushes boundaries, and makes important statements. I only wish they could. Especially in today’s world, one where more than anything, we need the hope that art gives us to survive. One of my biggest hopes for the future is that people begin to realize the value of art in this world. That it isn’t something that we have in the world to enjoy as entertainment, it is something we need to survive. The arts may never be the front page for you, and that’s okay. But I sure hope you’ll find yourself in a situation one day where art changes the way you see the world, and you have a desire to make the arts the front page- just as I do.
Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Entertainment

Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

These powerful lyrics remind us how much good is inside each of us and that sometimes we are too blinded by our imperfections to see the other side of the coin, to see all of that good.

70893
Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

The song was sent to me late in the middle of the night. I was still awake enough to plug in my headphones and listen to it immediately. I always did this when my best friend sent me songs, never wasting a moment. She had sent a message with this one too, telling me it reminded her so much of both of us and what we have each been through in the past couple of months.

Keep Reading...Show less
Zodiac wheel with signs and symbols surrounding a central sun against a starry sky.

What's your sign? It's one of the first questions some of us are asked when approached by someone in a bar, at a party or even when having lunch with some of our friends. Astrology, for centuries, has been one of the largest phenomenons out there. There's a reason why many magazines and newspapers have a horoscope page, and there's also a reason why almost every bookstore or library has a section dedicated completely to astrology. Many of us could just be curious about why some of us act differently than others and whom we will get along with best, and others may just want to see if their sign does, in fact, match their personality.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

20 Song Lyrics To Put A Spring Into Your Instagram Captions

"On an island in the sun, We'll be playing and having fun"

4227
Person in front of neon musical instruments; glowing red and white lights.
Photo by Spencer Imbrock on Unsplash

Whenever I post a picture to Instagram, it takes me so long to come up with a caption. I want to be funny, clever, cute and direct all at the same time. It can be frustrating! So I just look for some online. I really like to find a song lyric that goes with my picture, I just feel like it gives the picture a certain vibe.

Here's a list of song lyrics that can go with any picture you want to post!

Keep Reading...Show less
Chalk drawing of scales weighing "good" and "bad" on a blackboard.
WP content

Being a good person does not depend on your religion or status in life, your race or skin color, political views or culture. It depends on how good you treat others.

We are all born to do something great. Whether that be to grow up and become a doctor and save the lives of thousands of people, run a marathon, win the Noble Peace Prize, or be the greatest mother or father for your own future children one day. Regardless, we are all born with a purpose. But in between birth and death lies a path that life paves for us; a path that we must fill with something that gives our lives meaning.

Keep Reading...Show less
Health and Wellness

10 Hygiene Tips For All College Athletes

College athletes, it's time we talk about sports hygiene.

8108
Woman doing pull-ups on bars with sun shining behind her.

I got a request to talk about college athletes hygiene so here it is.

College athletes, I get it, you are busy! From class, to morning workouts, to study table, to practice, and more. But that does not excuse the fact that your hygiene comes first! Here are some tips when it comes to taking care of your self.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments