The arts are more than just a vehicle for creative expression. They tap into the powerful, vulnerable, alluring and repellent parts of ourselves, providing the mechanism by which we bring the awful, vexing, grotesque and, yes, beautiful into the light. The mysterious alchemy of art transforms the base metal of human folly into something precious.
That’s a dark and pretentious opening for a magazine with the exuberant, joyful Anthony Murphy on the cover. But playful creations are as much a product of the transformative power of art as poignant ones. Which is why art is such a potent medium for learning, growing and healing.
All the stories in our October Arts & Education issue celebrate that, I think.
Murphy, better known in collectible circles as Tiki tOny, is a former art teacher and a lifelong student of Pacific Islander art and culture. His art is all about retro tropical escapism, which makes sense: As a baseball player, he needed to withdraw from the stresses of competition into his paintings, drawings and carvings. How he found himself drawn into the fanciful facsimile that is tiki culture is the subject of our Cover Story.
Theater is all about escape — for the audience members, who become immersed in the world on the stage, and for the actors, who embody the life and perspectives of another entity altogether. And, as Karyl Lynn Burns, founder and artistic director of the Rubicon Theatre Company (Theater) explains, having “the opportunity to walk in another person’s shoes” is an effective way to “gain empathy.” It’s one of the reasons why the Rubicon has put so much emphasis on its educational programs, which it’s looking to expand this year.
New West Symphony is another artistic entity that takes its educational mission seriously. Concertmaster and award-winning violinist Alyssa Park (Music) firmly believes, “Education of our young people is the key to keeping this music alive and thriving.”
And then there’s poetry, the arts’ less flashy comrade. But for those who write it, recite it and love it, its might can’t be understated. We discuss the resilience of the spoken word, and Ventura County’s poets laureate, in Poetry.
Escape with us into the arts, and discover all the power and possibilities — for learning, for healing, for joy and discovery — they promise.
– Nancy D. Lackey Shaffer
nshaffer@timeslocalmedia.com
