Overheard in Porter Square

A few days ago I was in Porter Square. As I made my way towards the T station, I ended up walking behind two gentlemen. Passing them, I overheard one of them tell the other “As long as I have art, I feel alive. Because it makes me feel, and for that I have a reason to live.” Struck by what I’d heard, I looked over at them. Late 50s, white, and, from their heavy boots, spackled jeans, and weather-worn appearance, probably tradesmen.

What that man said was remarkable for a few reasons. First off, he was admitting that without the emotional response that he has to art, his life wouldn’t be worth living. That is one powerful statement. Second, it proves that art has an impact in every corner of society. Oftentimes, a certain demographic comes to mind when people think of art. It’s a bias that exists in pretty much everyone.

At BCC, we continuously have conversations about inclusivity. One purpose of the organization is to bring together diverse groups of students to provide a visual example of how racial and ethnic barriers can be broken down. It’s a positive image, but it needs to be recognized as a building block and not the final destination. Once you have a diverse constituency, the next steps are meaningful and organic relationship building between various groups. Therein lies the main challenge.