Arts and Democracy
These messages show how various creative arts have had an impact on our perspectives of democracy.
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Novel Impacts
Ray Bradbury grew up with books. He began his own writing career at the age of 11. He was a frequent visitor to libraries wherever his family lived. When Ray had just finished high school, he met Robert Heinlein, known as the dean of science fiction writers. This...
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Democracy and Dance
Martha Graham reshaped American dance over her 70 year career. She was the first dancer to perform at the White House. Her dance school is the oldest one in America. In recognition for her dance achievements, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom with...
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Images and Democracy
Pablo Picasso was commissioned by the Spanish Republican government to create a mural for Spanish pavilion at the Paris World Fair. Picasso undertook the project with little inspiration. Then when he heard of the bombing of a small town in the Basque region of Spain,...
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Poetry and Democracy
Sarojini Naidu was a poet who was known as the Nightingale of India. She was born into an elite family as the oldest of eight children. Sarojini completed her university exam when she was 12. She attended college in England for advanced degrees. Sarojini was an...
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Ode to Joy (Freedom)
Friedrich Schiller was a German poet and philosopher. Much of his creative work focused on freedom. Most of us know the work of Schiller through the final movement of the Ninth Symphony of Ludwig van Beethoven. He used Schiller’s poem Ode to Joy as the basis for the...
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