OUTSTANDING SUPPORTERS OF ARTS EDUCATION HONORED
By Brett Colasacco
Art influences our every thought and action, in ways both obvious and subtle. It has the power to reveal the unseen and conceal the unwanted. Art can move us, excite us, calm us, and shock us. For every Newton or Einstein, whose discoveries concern the natural world, there is a Rembrandt or Picasso, whose art shines light on the internal world of human experience. While science and math help us understand the universe, art helps us understand ourselves. Sadly, the arts have been slowly disappearing from education. In the face of budget cuts and increasing expenses, art generally tops the list of a school’s “expendable” subjects.
The Vermont Alliance for Arts Education intends to counter this trend. Its mission is simple but significant: “to promote the arts as essential to quality education for all Vermont students” (www.vaae.org). At an awards ceremony on April 3, 2002 VAAE honored twenty individuals and groups who exemplify this mission. The evening was a celebration of these remarkable people, who have overcome obstacles and maintained enthusiasm in their struggles to uphold the arts in Vermont’s elementary, middle, and high schools.
The VAAE awards ceremony also featured a heartfelt speech by Raymond McNulty, the Vermont Commissioner of Education. McNulty advocated the arts and expressed firm support for VAAE’s members and their common mission. He offered this memorable quote from documentary filmmaker Ken Burns: “The arts may not be useful in the defense of this country, but the arts make this country worth defending.” Several student performers further demonstrated the power and importance of arts education. Leah Schwartz, clarinet, and Maria Schwartz, flute, presented Beethoven’s “Duo No. 1.” They also played from Pugni’s “Little Humpback Horse” with Justin Sorrell, piano. Brett Colasacco read T.S. Eliot’s poem “The Hollow Men.” And the Woodstock SPEAKCHORUS, directed by Harriet Worrell, offered a unique, stirring performance entitled “Give Me Liberty.” The VAAE honorees have made great strides in promoting arts education in Vermont. In ways both obvious and subtle, their efforts have benefited, and will continue to benefit, our state and its students.
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