The Arts in Columbia…
As we go about our day-in-day-out lives here in the Midlands – working at our jobs, caring for our families – it is understandably all too easy to forget how fortunate we are to live amid such cultural wealth. We are so lulled by its ubiquity that we are often surprised when, upon “waking” from our routines, we see anew that to live here is to be surrounded by art of every genre and variety, to be immersed in the legacy, lessons and legends of a uniquely American history.
At every turn we may indulge in or be indulged by the dance and song, imagery and sculpture, oratory and symphony, theatre, literature and historic riches to be found in our galleries and studios, on our stages and screens, at our festivals and street fairs, in our libraries and museums…
That this immense treasure should be such an intrinsic part of our circumstances is truly a gift. We should revel in it. And, more, we should hold it close to our hearts with the most profound appreciation. We should cherish it, respect it and protect it – for it is an essential element of our very humanity.