Eva-Grace Petrie ’21
Why is it so important to me that art be accessible? Why should art come “off the wall?” I believe beauty is a fundamental piece of the human experience; every person should be allowed to indulge in beauty, and the current method of immersion via museums is not inclusive.
My passion project’s central theme––“art off the wall”––does not aim to remove art from museums but rather hang art on new and occasionally metaphorical walls. Instead of framing and hanging a masterpiece on a white wall in a cavernous museum, send it out into the world. Murals, hand painted cafe walls, or screen printed tote bags let art exist among us in new spaces instead of in the endless, echoing halls of museums. The formality of museums can be daunting and often exclusive, while art that is set within a community encourages socialization and casual connections. The chatter and bustle of life invigorates art and adds to the beauty of it all.
Museum tickets are not inexpensive either, and not everyone has $30 to spend on a ticket. Flashes of color and art in our daily lives act like shots of joy throughout the day because, at its core, beauty is joy.
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Photo Credit: ww.SoCalPulse.com
