Art is for all

To the editor:

What is art? Art is a means of communication. It provides a way of thinking “outside the box.” It’s a chronicler of life. It’s a pleasure for each of the senses — sight, sound, taste, touch, smell. Art is a discipline that crosses cultural lines, language barriers, age, sex. It’s a uniquely human endeavor. Art can be done and appreciated by all humans. Apparently, the governor of Kansas feels that art isn’t universal enough to be supported by the state; it should be privately funded by and for the few who can afford it. It is an elite endeavor, not to be available to all Kansans.

Dwight Eisenhower (soldier) and Winston Churchill (statesman) enjoyed painting. They may not have been experts, but they relaxed with the visual arts. Albert Einstein (physicist) played the violin, but apparently not very well. (Not everyone can.) Isaac Stern, a renowned violinist, was one who often played with Einstein. Once, when practicing duets, Stern stopped in the middle and, with exasperation, allegedly exclaimed to the scientist: “Count, Albert, count!” He may have had problems with his musical clock, but Einstein still enjoyed art. Would that all Kansans had the opportunity to partake of this uniquely human endeavor and to reap from it what they may. What say, Governor?