M is involved in this new contemporary art initiative, and it’s super exciting! After 9/11, Eric Fischl started this project involving loads of contemporary artists to start dialogues throughout the country. They are gearing up to tour soon and bringing killer artists to Kansas City first, with more cities to be announced…
I love that it’s sort of civic but in a grassroots way, and totally artist-initiated. Despite the divisive political climate, there is still much that connects us, and art can play a role. Getting to see some of the country firsthand when I drove cross-country last summer really made me excited about the range of regional identities and cultures that are all uniquely American. The prospect that contemporary art can help to generate a dialogue about America and our hopes is too good to pass up.
I think on-the-ground cultural exchange like this can have so much potential (just ask Antonio Carlos Joabim and Dizzy Gillespie). I promise you’ll be excited about these artists as I am…
“The idea is simple. Let’s find a theme that everybody shares and build a dialogue around it. Our theme is America. We’ll start by sharing our ideas and experiences through the art that we make. Now, it’s your turn. Let’s use art to have a dialogue about America.”
—Eric Fischl
R+D 