I Think That Art Is Supposed To

I Feel Like My Work Has Been My Path To Freedom From Having Grown Up In A Segregated Environment.

Suddenly In High School, I'm In A Predominantly Jewish Atmosphere. Jewish People Were My Gate To White America.

We Who Are In The Arts Are At The Risk Of Being In A Popularity Contest Rather Than A Profession. If That Fact Causes You Despair . . . Pick Another Profession. Your Desire To Communicate Must Be Bigger Than Your Relationship With The Chaotic And Unfair Realities . . . We Have To Create Our Own Standards Of Discipline.

They Say That Art Should Stand The Test Of Time. Life Lasts A Limited Amount Of Time. Mountains And Trees And Earth Will Outlive Human Beings, But We Don't Know If They Will Be Here Always. Art Does Outlast The Life Span Of Its Maker. Art Should Communicate To An Increasing Circle Of Strangers-people Who Do Not Know The Artist, But Come To Know The Work, And Through The Work, Come To Know Something About The Humanity Of The Artist That Rings With Their Own Humanity.

Be More Than Ready. Be Present In Your Discipline. Remember Your Gift. Be Grateful For Your Gift And Treat It Like A Gift. Cherish It, Take Care Of It, And Pass It On.