Introduction

As a child, I spent endless afternoons in museums with my family, wandering the clean white hallways and looking up at the canvases of which my little head barely grazed the bottom. I loved the bright colors of Matisse and tried to scrunch up my face to match the features in Picasso’s cubist portraits. As I grew older, I learned that museums are not just buildings with paintings, but places where cultural dialogue is inspired. Museums are records of our collective creative pasts and beacons to the future. They teach our children about the value of their own inherent creativity and inspire young artists everywhere. Truly great art surpasses its contemporary relevance and lives on as a statement about the time and place in which it was produced. Museums are just one of many forums where social, civic, cultural, and political life intersect.

W.E.B. DuBois beautifully explained the crossroads of art and civic dialogue when he said, “Begin with art because art tries to take us outside ourselves. It is a matter of trying to create an atmosphere and context so conversation can flow back and forth and we can be influenced by each other” (in Assaf, 2002). Taking people “outside [them]selves” allows them to look at their beliefs and assumptions, and only then is it possible to look at each other with empathy and collective understanding. Arts-based civic dialogue may bring about shifts in attitude and in thinking; this is the principle that founded Animating Democracy, a program of Americans for the Arts Institute for Community Development and the Arts, which Barbara Schaffer-Bacon founded and co-directs. Civic dialogue, as defined by Animating Democracy, refers specifically to dialogue about “civic issues, policies, or decisions of consequence to people’s lives, communities, and society” (Animating Democracy, Key Terms 2007). Animating Democracy focuses on arts- or humanities- based dialogue, for the arts provide a direct forum in which to address civic issues.

I strongly believe that everyone can approach their life as an artist and every action can be a creative act. This personal belief fits in perfectly with Animating Democracy’s mission, for the organization uses the arts to “create an atmosphere and context [in which] conversation can flow back and forth and we can be influenced by each other” (Animating Democracy, Case Studies). Animating Democracy was founded upon the idea that art is vital to society, civic dialogue is vital to democracy, and both create unique opportunities for understanding. The organization believes that dialogue is embedded in/or connected to the artistic process and that there are many ways in which the arts can contribute to public discourse: as a spark for civic dialogue, an invitation for participation, a form of dialogue, or a neutral space in which to interact. Animating Democracy has successfully funded programs that have created moments of dialogue, some of which have lasted many years.

When asked about the current staff of Animating Democracy, Barbara responded that everyone considered him/herself a community leader or organizer, but no one on the project staff was directly involved in the creative side of the arts. Though it is difficult to classify what an artist is and Barbara does not consider herself to be one, I believe that her work situates her within the artist framework. Barbara’s creativity and imagination has led to the production of something new, and Animating Democracy has challenged how we understand the world; these are two key characteristics that John Paul Lederach believes artists have (Lederach, 2005, p. 39). Barbara emphasizes the socially conscious nature of the arts and her personal stance would classify her as a cultural worker. This paper will explore how Barbara’s personal story shaped her vision of Animating Democracy, briefly examine Animating Democracy’s accomplishments, and discuss the relationship between art and politics.

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