At the beginning of the fall 2023 semester, Keene State accidentally struck gold.
The Art and Design Department put up, what I can only assume to be, studentmade sculptures. These included the front part of a paper-mâché rocket, a hand that was painted to look like it was made of bricks, a whimsical blue tree trunk with a hollowed out middle and a hanging nest made of weaved plastic bags and paper.
These sculptures have deteriorated over time as only the nest is still recognizable and they seemingly were put there overnight without any explanation, but the concept is still solid.
Art should not be confined to inside museums or the occasional art show in a community space; it should be out in the world, for people walking by to look at and maybe, on some level, see the artist in the art and see the process of creation.
These sculptures can cause one to stop for a moment to consider a stranger, and how their experience of reality may be similar or different to the viewer.
For example, imagine if Keene State oriented some of the more advanced art programs for creation and display; then, the students that created those pieces could say their art has been featured in a college collection and Keene State is more beautiful and connected because of it. However, this is just an idea. I know the continuity of institutions necessarily includes factors that I do not know and do not want to know. Although, I think putting the idea out there is helpful, so that the people with the power to make it a reality may have it in their mind.
The core of art is storytelling. Storytelling is fundamentally about building empathy; to see yourself reflected in a piece of art or a film or a book is one of the most beautiful experiences. When I read Ray Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451” in my first year of high school, I felt so seen by his writing style, because he writes how I think and speak. As a 14-year-old, seeing another person that thinks the way I do was incredibly cathartic. Art made me feel less alone at a point in my life when I needed it most.
Art is an expression of consciousness and feeling; to engage with art is to truly consider another person’s point of view. Given this assumption, art would, therefore, give life to space that may be dull otherwise.
Dexter Keegan can be contacted at
Dexter.Keegan@keene.edu
