Guiding Principles
“For although there is a bounding horizon, it moves as we move. We are never wholly free from the sense of something that lies beyond.”
Global Arts for an Interconnected World
The arts exist in a distinct and ever-changing sociopolitical and historical landscape, and they often serve as first encounters with unfamiliar cultural ideas. We strive to challenge traditionally accepted artistic canons and to acknowledge the ways in which dominant cultures have impacted the development and reception of traditional art forms. We work to honor the many facets of human expression; to value diversity in the arts as well as in the people creating the art; to recognize the many ways in which the arts permeate platforms for work in social and environmental justice; and to encourage civic engagement and community-building through artistic participation and collaboration.
Performance as Transformative Experience
While artistic creation is generally encapsulated in a finished product (a product which is often the sole tangible representation of the work for an external audience), the process of doing art is equally characterized by opportunities for personal growth, revelation, and transformation. This concept, often referred to as collateral learning, supports these less quantifiable but equally meaningful outcomes that define experiential education. Working toward a performance horizon requires a commitment to saying, at some point, “I have done enough”, even as we simultaneously recognize that there is always more to learn, more to experience, and more to unravel. The space between inception and completion offers powerful insight into our limits and our potential.
The Artistic Process as a Metaphor for Reimagining the Future
As we explore the boundaries of individualized expression and personal values in the context of an evolving world, we find ourselves imagining new possibilities for the future and confronting complex responsibilities as we transform that imaginative capacity into concrete action. The arts are uniquely positioned to liberate us from conventional pathways of thought and to support us as we challenge embedded social expectations. By intentionally broadening our understanding of creativity, celebrating our uniqueness, and performing together in ways that encourage empathy and compassion, we begin to experience the world as it could be. As we change and are changed by our surroundings, the arts offer us a place to refine our collective values and to model constructive engagement with far-reaching significance.