Ars Longa Brevis

The past four years, I have breathed, slept, eaten, thought and immersed myself in all thing pertaining to theatre. This is where I discovered to truly work in a team, where I could be without fear of being something I am not, and where I have found peace in the maddening swirl of day to day life, ironic in the fact that theatre is a hectic world. This world is where I have made my best friends and found people I know I can count on and that I insist can depend on me. If I have learned one thing from my experiences in theatre, it is to strive and achieve

My analysis of how successful and how did this artwork affect the society and culture as its target

Art helped me learn to express the feelings I couldn’t say and during that time period and I choosing to study it is the greatest decision I have ever made. Art is the reason I live now. It gives me hope, happiness, and an ability to escape. I love how it can change my view and to make me feel things. This year one of my illustrations was hung in the Museum of Contemporary Art: La Jolla, and I could not be prouder.

I believe that yes, art can make a difference. Artists create arts to bring people together, raise an awareness or t make a statement regarding an issue. For instance, people would create artistic posters and such to help raise awareness to issues like rape, or texting and driving. In the movie Waste Land, Muniz along with the workers of the garbage landfill used recycled materials from the garbage to create amazing portrait-like artwork that represents each of the main characters in the documentary.

At the theatre at which I do most of my work, previews are a little different than the classic type. The audiences at our previews are comprised of people who may otherwise not be able to see the show- the School for the Blind, foster families, teen moms, kids on the autism spectrum, and many other people lacking the privilege to attend live theatre at all. The audiences at those shows are always the most boisterous, sometimes the hardest to perform for, but always the most grateful. My mindset about theatre for a long time was that the reason I love it so much is because it gives me more joy than anything else I’ve ever experienced. It got me through my dad’s death in 2012, it helps me stay positive through depression, and is overall a therapeutic experience for me. The first preview I ever did made me realize that theatre isn’t for the actors at all, not once performances start- it’s for the audiences. Art is a medium that allows ideas to be brought to light that no one wants to talk about, or don’t know how to. Theatre is my most beloved method of art because of the way I’ve seen it so tangibly transform the lives of those around me. The fact that we, as theatre artists, have the opportunity to bring light to the lives of people who don’t see it much otherwise, is extraordinary. Deaf West’s Spring Awakening revival is a brilliant example of this- it makes such

Mrs. Song changed the way I view the world, and encouraged the transition from childhood to adulthood within my culture. She was my tenth grade English tutor, and though her main job was to instruct us through literature, she used movies, hands-on experiences, and personal stories to teach us just how relevant the books’ topics were to everyday life. Mrs. Song introduced me to a new way of viewing society, and taught me I can make a change in the world, even with limited resources. Because of her mentoring, I am changed, and I will continue to change. I have not only come to adore multiple varieties of literature, but I also have come to understand the value of communication, perseverance, and redemption.

People take art for granted and don't see the arts taking a fundamental role in our lives. I admit I was one of those individuals, but when I joined Citi Spotlights, it changed my view on the arts and the world surrounding me. The program taught me leadership skills and exposed me to things I had never done before. It introduced me to acting, singing, and dancing. Today, I am able to use my imagination and use any artistic form to express my most profound thoughts to my surroundings.

I live my life to tell stories. All stories are beautiful and everyone deserves to see a face they recognize telling them a story that explores the struggles they deal with daily. To know we are not alone, and that art has a meaning full place in our lives as our teachers, is such a comfort. Art teaches us to feel, it teaches us about ourselves, and how to empathize with others. It taught me how to communicate something that could save a life in a tender, beautiful way. And it would be my privilege to be able to do that with the rest of my

- I can apply this art critique to helping others. If you know the story and history behind someone’s action or art it helps to better relate to the work.

‘I look at it every day and every day it gives me pleasure. Their art is what they leave behind. And art matters because it changes the way we see ourselves in the world. It shows the next generation who we were. It’s important and long lasting.’

My senior project is coming together pretty quickly. I have already completed over thirty hours on my project; I still plan on completing more hours. So far, this project has really further developed my appreciation for artists and the hard work they do. It takes a long time to complete even one art piece. I can’t imagine how much time and effort it would take to create enough art to make a living off of. From my personal experience working on art pieces, I now understand why some artists manage to sell their artwork for a lot of money. Creating art is hard work.

In her book, Theatre in Health and Care, Emma Brodzniksi notes that, “Some within arts and health have looked to empirical data, the language of the scientific culture of healthcare, while others have defended a more qualitative approach….The different negotiation of outcomes represents different approaches to health.” (2010: 10) It is often the case, within arts in health, that the arts aspect is viewed as a way of achieving a goal as opposed to examining the qualities of the arts activity itself. Much work within the health and care takes place in a community setting and withholds the belief that access to the arts opens up opportunities that may not have been a possibility previously. Anthony Jackson, describes the experience of interacting with the arts as, “some kind of journey – psychological, emotional – the kind of journey we might not have taken otherwise. It may involve is in a retreat from the everyday, or it may be a detour, offering us vantage points from which to see the everyday in a new light or from a new angle. (2007: 36) At this point, I will continue on by outlining, as previously stated, two projects that took place in a community setting and provided their participants with the possibility of embarking on such a journey that Jackson speaks of.

A lot of people think that art can only go as far as a class in school, but in reality there is art around everyone. Art can be a way of life for some people, and for others it is simply just something they pass every single day. What they do not realize is that art can have benefits in different aspects in their life, in children's lives, and even the world around them.

Stepping upon a simple stage was the best thing I could have ever done. Overseeing the multitude that was there to witness my every word, every tremble, every emotion, and every heart beat, was then that I realized that the sentiment was real. It was essentially the end of time and I could not bear to hold back what I no intentions of doing. Cry. Tears of joy darted down my face as I walked across the stage and received my ultimate gift. With fancy inscription, my gift was entitled “Class of 2009”. I had just graduated.

One specific thing that I learned from this project was that there is a more to something than what meets the eye. Although my painting just seemed like a typical