Do you consider yourself a "Cultural Ambassador"? If so, in what way?
I have been giving a lot of thought to the idea of "Cultural Ambassadors" recently. On this site we are very interested in promoting dialogue between people who live far away from one another and may never meet in person. The hope being that a dialogue sparked by an interest in the Arts will lead to greater cultural understanding. I think artists who serve as Cultural Ambassadors are key in achieving this goal.
I'm just back from Buenos Aires where I spent time with two artists who used community based art projects to show me their city. I would consider these individuals to be cultural ambassadors (at least for the day). My mother worked for the State Department in one of the finest government programs this country ever turned out (in my humble opinion). She helped artists from the U.S. and abroad share their cultural heritage. There are other examples of "Cultural Ambassadors" I can think of that might not be quite as obvious to some. For example, a storyteller who passes on a tale for future generations or a musician who sings a song her grandmother taught her (perhaps with her own twist added) or a painter who uses a traditional technique to paint Pop art. So my question for you is - do you consider yourself a "Cultural Ambassador"? If so, in what way? Don't be afraid to get creative here. I'd love for you to blow my mind.
I'm just back from Buenos Aires where I spent time with two artists who used community based art projects to show me their city. I would consider these individuals to be cultural ambassadors (at least for the day). My mother worked for the State Department in one of the finest government programs this country ever turned out (in my humble opinion). She helped artists from the U.S. and abroad share their cultural heritage. There are other examples of "Cultural Ambassadors" I can think of that might not be quite as obvious to some. For example, a storyteller who passes on a tale for future generations or a musician who sings a song her grandmother taught her (perhaps with her own twist added) or a painter who uses a traditional technique to paint Pop art. So my question for you is - do you consider yourself a "Cultural Ambassador"? If so, in what way? Don't be afraid to get creative here. I'd love for you to blow my mind.
Tags: Cultural Ambassador, artist, artists, culture
Replies to This Post
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Permalink Reply by C.Piewnam on -
We are trying to develop Thai marionette arts in the cultural for tell to content the children and families today has been learned through the beautiful art. For example, we take “Ramayana” to interpret to tell the conflicts in Thai society now and tell the children that don’t join in war of the adult to we not have participation build up. We do this work culture everything our show. Because we believe arts will be the help to bring up mind and lead good message to humanity. In year 2008, we had a chance to puppet show story “Ghao Ngor” at World Festival of Puppet Art Prague. After the show those parents who come to watch our show and said us it shows that made me know that today's global society scary extremely. I will hug my child and love the child more so that he will grow into good people. We see them hug their children and to enter came hug our puppets. It makes us very happy.
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Permalink Reply by John Rouse on -
Thanks for your comment. I hope to see your Thai marionette arts in person one day.........I'm curious to hear how you think your puppetry will be impacted by the current conflict in your country?
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Permalink Reply by Mireille Dubois Vanhove on -
In my work I want to share what I have lived for 30 years in Africa, poverty pervasive and not always conscious of this by Belgium, on my return. Since then I have to stop painting or sculpture to denounce. Is a work of memory
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Permalink Reply by John Rouse on
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Mireille, I want to say that I am a huge fan of your art. Where did you live in Africa? Do you think things have improved since you have left? and the impossible question (maybe) - what is the solution to end this poverty?
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Permalink Reply by Lynda Cookson on -
I have just this last week experienced a wonderful day of Taking Tea with Artists in Middles Wales in the UK. I am a South African-born artist living and working in the West of Ireland and I was thrilled by the fact that there were 12 of us there, at The Hobb run by Helen and Grant, just outside Knighton in Powys.
It all started as a development of my monthly artist profile column which I write for a national Irish magazine. I have recently collated 12 (that number again!) artist profiles into a book entitled "Tea 'n Turps" and sub-titled "Taking Tea with Artists". Being aware of the tremendous power of networking, and knowing I would be in Wales for one day while fetching my Mum home from a visit to my sister, I took a chance, googled artists in Middle Wales, sent them an invitation to join me in "Taking Tea with Artists" .... and we enjoyed a scrummy tea including lots of unhealthy sugary goodies ... followed by a joint abstract acrylic painting while we chatted and got to know one another in a studio in the garden at The Hobb. I'll be photographing the painting and uploading it to my blog soon.
I'm hoping to get more "Taking Tea with Artists" events going in other places - maybe even in Portugal in November if I can manage it!
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Permalink Reply by John Rouse on
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I like tea! I hope we can take tea together in NYC someday.
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Permalink Reply by Vickie Fang Grumbine on -
I've spent the past 5 1/2 years doing volunteer work with prostituted women in Baltimore. For all the references to prostitutes in literature and art, the actual women are still a horribly misunderstood group, hidden beneath grotesque and ridiculous stereotypes. They very much have their own culture, which I've been writing about in essays and short stories. I also keep a blog, http://vickiesprostitutionblog.blogspot that creates a window into their daily lives.
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Permalink Reply by John Binet-Fauvel on
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I feel my work not only create interest in art but uses recycle materials i.e. wire from disgarded electrical goods. This means that it is harvested from unwant materials and changed into wanted or even desired things with very little processing. We have the chance not only to change peoples attitude to what art is but also how its made and from what it is made.
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Permalink Reply by John Rouse on
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Interesting.......So is it fair to say that you consider yourself a "cultural ambassador" not necessarily for a culture associated with an ethnic group or region but rather for a "cultural movement" that encourages recycling?
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Permalink Reply by Joan Schirle on -
Having performed at a number of theatre festivals in Latin America, South America, and Europe, I and my company consider ourselves cultural ambassadors. This is because once we have performed our shows, hung out with other artists and met many of them after their own shows, we've often heard: "I didn't think N. Americans could be so nice/interesting/not full of themselves/doing work that didn't look like American television/non-imperialist." In that way, by being ourselves, presenting a look at the USA which is different from the mainstream television and media images of the US, we engage in a person-to-person experience which often changes negative stereotypes of North Americans. And we've met some wonderful artists with whom we have continued a friendship and a cultural exchange, like the LUME Teatro of Campinas in Brasil, or Grupo Galpao in Belo Horizonte. We presented LUME in their US debut in 2001. This summer a member of their ensemble, Jesser de Souza, will offer a 10-day workshop as part of our summer workshops. www.dellarte.com
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Permalink Reply by John Rouse on
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I definitely see dellarte as cultural ambassadors! Let me take my forum question a step further for you Joan. Do you feel that artists from the U.S. have more of an obligation to be cultural ambassadors? If so, why?
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Permalink Reply by Harsh Inder Loomba on
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Hi John,
A very interesting topic you've picked up...I guess, all artists are natural ambassadors of their culture and country. An artist is observing and portraying all the traditional, mythical, mythological, historical, current, good, bad , ugly from his point of view...and it is a vital information for the future generations to understand the times and art of that era! Such a great responsibility...and with this I also raise a question of the 'freedom of Art'... in our country an artist had portreyed a Hindu Goddess's image in semi-nude... his being a Muslim further enraged people! What I ask is that if the creator is not given free hand to depict his ideas...what is the point?
I consider myself a Cultural Ambassador, first and formost because of being a painter, and I attend and speak in the seminars, display my works, Am an Indian who's been trained in Russia... try to mingle culture of both the places! Teach and spot talented young children and guide them to pursue Art as their career. Teach people to 'appreciate art' and understand the technicalities as well. Strive is on! :)
All the best to you.
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