International Artist Day – October 25, 2021
We celebrate International Artist Day on October 25. Art as a creative human expression encapsulates myriad things. It portrays the beauty of life or a bitter reality. It records history, revolutions, rebellions, and sometimes is a means to escape them. In short, there is no history or culture without art. This day celebrates all forms of art — paintings, sculpture, photography, architecture, music, and more. Through this celebration we show our respect for the passion and creativity in all artists.
HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL ARTIST DAY
In the summer of 1961 President Kennedy made an effort to settle a salary dispute between the Metropolitan Opera and the American Federation of Musicians. He succeeded. Kennedy’s actions signaled his passion for the arts. Congress, in the mid 60s, designated the National Cultural Center, launched in 1958, as a “living memorial” to President Kennedy and authorized $23 million to begin construction. It’s now simply known as the Kennedy Center.
The following year President Johnson signed the National Foundation on the Arts & the Humanities Act, which created the National Endowment for the Arts.
By 1970 focus on the arts increasingly spread to television and cinema. Mobil Oil committed more than $1 million to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for presentation of Masterpiece Theatre on PBS — and for 5 million copies of new Sesame Street magazine to be given free to preschool children in low-income neighborhoods. This was the largest gift to CPB from the business community to date.
A decade later President Reagan, himself a former actor, appointed a Presidential Task Force on the Arts & Humanities to review the purposes of the National Endowments; broaden private support; engage more non-government professionals, private groups & individuals; & recommend ways to strengthen the overall structure of both agencies.
What qualifies as “art”?
One could make a case that any creative endeavor is “art.” However, culture, tradition and, in some cases that push boundaries, laws will ultimately determine what happens next.
What’s the best paint to use on canvas?
Acrylic. It’s easy to work with and it dries quickly. Plus, all you need to paint with acrylic is a primed canvas and a brush or palette knife.
What’s the world’s most expensive painting?
Leonardo da Vinci’s depiction of Jesus Christ holding a crystal orb is the most expensive painting in the world. Experts value the piece, known as Salvator Mundi, (savior of the world) at over $450 million.