Jackson Burnside is reputed to have once said

“We don’t see what we’re looking at.”

This brilliant observation is complicated by the fact that, looking at the same thing, we also often see different things. We all see the world differently, depending on our mindset, whether because of our background or our mood. That is why paintings by different artists painting the same landscape look completely different. One might record a photorealistic view of the scene, while another might focus on patterns of color or texture. One might make the close-up scene the focus while the other might share the beauty of the distant hillside. All of the paintings would be a true representation of the scene, although they would all look different. That is one of the things that make the world such an interesting place. Hopefully, those artists help us see more of our world.

As we look  at those pictures, as a result of different artistic points of view, we get to appreciate new ways to see the same things. The landscape may not change, but the appreciation for it, the close-up details, the patterns in nature and the captivating distant view become new experiences for those familiar with the location. The same is true with a song sung by different singers, or sculpture or food or wedding dresses.

This ability to find new experiences in familiar things is at the root of our ability to create change in our society. Art is a mirror, held up for us to  see ourselves in ways we might be familiar with or not, ways that make us comfortable or uncomfortable. Those comfortable views of us reinforce our present direction, make us feel better about ourselves. Uncomfortable views cause us to question our present ways of being and consider the need or opportunity for change. While the response is always personal, the process becomes societal as we share our responses to the mirror, both as individuals and as a society. Just as a mirror on our wall helps us to develop a concern for our bodies and alter our behavior accordingly, the mirror we call art helps us to choose better social goals and provide the inspiration to change our behavior accordingly.  

 That is most likely why, in 1965, the Americans established national support for the production and display of art. The Congress created the National Endowment for the Arts, an organization that provides funding to support non-profit art organizations and individuals involved in research and, in special cases, writing. They also included public support by inclusion of benefits in the tax system. They created a web of support that has created what we see as a prolific art  community and a reputation as a strong national community. Other nations have created versions of this system of support, to great benefit.

What does all this mean?

The Bahamas is celebrating its 50th anniversary as an independent country. Especially over the past few years, it has become obvious that no one is proud of the sense of community in our society. Most people wonder how we could have arrived at a place where our children behave like monsters, our citizens display a greedy, selfish, entitled attitude and there seems to be little interest in creating or sustaining strong communities. At least twice a year, there are voices on radio and TV begging Bahamians to have pride.  

I am not for a minute suggesting that we are short of artists in our society. For the record, I believe we are the most gifted people on the planet. But by itself that does not translate to mirrors on the wall. A play without a stage has no audience. A painting without a wall will languish in storage. A dance without a dancefloor will only itch. A piece of sculpture without a place to stand becomes a doorstop. In other words, for our artists to share their insights, to erect mirrors for our development, there must be facilities and infrastructure. For us to share our differences and our similarities, we need theaters, auditoria, concert halls, art galleries and the like.

In the 50 years since independence, we have commissioned one major art gallery, one museum, no theaters, no schools for the performing arts, no public art and no celebration of our heroes in art. We have also avoided the opportunity to expose our children to the art of our Caribbean community, having renegued on three commitments to host Carifesta between 1983 and 2010. We have created national performance groups, then starved them to death.   In short, we have been far more interested in how the outside world sees us than how we see ourselves, and the lack of mirror images has led to national insecurity and bad behavior. The lack of support has been shocking, given that our national business is the telling of our story for tourism and the astronomical spending by successive governments on promoting non-existant cultural product.

For example, the folks at the Dundas Center have made a phenomenal commitment to share at least one Bahamian theatrical piece each month to celebrate our 50th anniversary. The series began in October. Unfortunately, the theater is closed for renovation and cannot host the events, so they are being held in the Black Box, a makeshift space. For the past half a century the Dundas has been the only public theater available to playwrights, actors, dancers and the like. Why should it be shuttered for such an important tribute to Bahamian art, for the cost of a new air conditioning system?

Clearly there is a need for us to appreciate how much we need mirrors and the need to begin to develop infrastructure for the training, development and display of the work of our artists. To say our leaders do not understand the requirements for human development would be an understatement. I trust that this 50th anniversary will ignite the nation’s commitment to make art, the mirror we need to build whatever future we finally dream, possible.

Oh! The other reason art is important is that it makes the world we live in much more beautiful, and therefore enjoyable.