Ars Gratia Artis

I walk past the Palmer Museum of Art almost everyday and how many times have I been inside? One. And the only reason I’ve been inside that one time was because my Dad made me when I came for my college visit senior year in high school.

This week’s overlooked beauty is art.

I ask myself what is art and do I overlook it? I don’t know if anyone can explain art, and I think that is what makes art so captivating. Each “work” of art is up to individual interpretation. A breath taking, stop me in my tracks piece of art for me, might be ho-hum for another viewer.

I equate art to learning poetry in middle school. I used to love studying poetry for one reason: no matter what I said my teacher always told me I was right. You interpret it figuratively. I see it literally. We are at odds, but we just chalk it up to our individual outlooks on life.

The goal of any form of art is to access and affect many individuals; this is what makes art so powerful. Even though art may have a goal, its purpose is highly debated. Some say that art is here for the purpose of art. This is expressed perfectly in the Metro Goldwyn Mayer media company’s motto Ars Gratia Artis, a Latin phrase that translates into “art for art’s sake.”

The beauty of art stems from the universal understanding that art can be embraced by all. But that’s the thing! Art CAN be embraced by all, but sadly it isn’t. I’m not saying we all need to go to the Palmer Museum of Art, or even that we need to enjoy frescos, mosaics, or any other type of visual art. There are endless types of art and artistic expression and we are lucky to have the ability to embrace every type. We are especially fortunate to have all these types so easily at our disposal at PSU in the crosshairs of our campus with easy access for all. We have the ability to immerse ourselves in all these art forms daily, but we don’t always take advantage of this opportunity.