What are we creating with our freedom?
By Julie Douglas, Family Program Specialist
I recently visited the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago and saw the Gordon Matta-Clark exhibit. Matta-Clark is a known for the “cuts” he did on derelict buildings back in the seventies. To the untrained eye (mine!), Matta-Clark’s work looks a whole lot like decrepit hunks of buildings, cut and displayed randomly. One of his pieces, a collection of his own hair cuttings, looks a lot like, well…hair.
If I had gone through the exhibit on my own, I might have dismissed it as ugly and confusing. But, as luck would have it, we arrived just as a docent began a fascinating talk about the artist’s life and work. Matta-Clark’s pieces gave us a different perspective, a different way to think about architecture and space.
Not a student of art, I will readily admit that I didn’t “get” some of what Matta-Clark was saying through his art, but I have certainly found myself thinking back on it and relating my own experiences to it. Matta-Clark’s work posed some interesting questions.
During that same weekend I had an opportunity to attend a powerful one-woman show, “9 Parts of Desire.” Written and performed by Heather Raffo, the daughter of an American mother and an Iraqi father, the play introduces viewers to nine Iraqi women. Each character reveals a complex mix of fear, courage, joy, and sorrow.
Again, I have found myself reflecting on some of the questions the play raised. One of the most compelling is a question posed by a bold Iraqi artist who asked, “What have you created with your freedom?” I have not been able to get that out of my head.
Ironically, the Chicago Children’s Humanities Festival was taking place on the same weekend. Although I was unable to attend any of the events, the offerings were impressive! From the interactive Cheering Carpet at the Japanese Garden to “musical sculpture,” theatre, and opportunities to create art, the festival invited children to explore the humanities.
Because my job here at the Council deals mostly with family reading, you might ask what all of this has to do with reading and storytelling. And my answer is that family reading has everything to do with the humanities. Much like a good docent, a parent can enrich and guide the interactions a child has with books and stories. Sure, reading aloud to a child builds vocabulary and strengthens reading readiness skills. But reading AND talking about stories teaches a child how to look for the deeper meaning, how to question what he sees, how to relate the experiences in a book to his real life.
Competition for a child’s attention is fierce. Think of all of the messages and misinformation that bombard even the youngest child on a daily basis! From advertising and television and movies of questionable quality, children can quickly learn attitudes of prejudice, materialism, and conformity.
But there is hope! Enter that superhero, the Humanities! A child armed with the skills and attitudes developed through interacting with art, music, and literature grows into an adult who is able to think for herself.
A child who is encouraged to express his opinion learns that he has the right to form an opinion instead of mindlessly consuming whatever is served up. A child who has empathized with a character in a story might be more likely to do so with the people he meets. A child who knows the stories of those who came before her better understands her role in the future.
Reading and talking about books does more than get a child ready to be a reader; the humanities give the child an opportunity to develop more fully as a human. As parents, educators, philanthropists, politicians, volunteers, and citizens, we enjoy the freedom to make all kinds of choices in what we support and value. So…what are we creating with our freedom?
