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Renick hails value of art, urges more funding Click here to see a video of Chancellor James C. Renick's lecture, "Why Art Matters."
Renick, who delivered the annual Paul R. Jones lecture, “Why Art Matters,” said that in addition to preserving the rich history of individuals, society and countries, art reinforces and promotes innovation, creativity and openness, qualities that are necessary for a truly educated person. The Paul R. Jones Collection of African American Art, housed in Mechanical Hall at UD, is among the pre-eminent collections of works by 20th-Century African-American artists. Jones, an Atlanta businessman, gave the collection to the University in 2001. Renick said the fact that the world’s greatest cities have always been cauldrons of creativity for innovation and advancement in the arts, technology, science, politics and business remains true today. The Internet, he added, has enabled smaller cities to join the trend and promote collaboration among institutions. “What I find perplexing is just as we need people who use creativity, exploration and discovery to develop our innovative capacities more than ever, we are cutting support for the arts,” Renick said. “While we bemoan lack of the development of critical thinking skills in many of our nation’s children, many of our schools have deleted arts programs.” Calling for more support for the arts as a means to advance society, Renick said the current trend locks youth into “unimaginative, lackluster programs that don’t allow them to become all that they can be. “Everybody is rushing out the door to create the next biotech whiz-bang invention without the 30 years it took to work in a particular field to get the basics right, so that they can be applied,” Renick said. “So, you have elected officials now who are funding only applied science. I think that’s wrong. It’s very short-sighted and, in reality, it’s not going to even work.” UD President David P. Roselle said the lecture was dedicated to Mary J. Hempel, assistant to the president and director of the Office of Public Relations at the University, who died Sept. 30. “Mary was, without question, the biggest promoter of the Paul R. Jones Collection of African American Art. She advertised it. She lived it. She breathed it,” Roselle said. Renick’s lecture, which was available to A&T students via live webcast, was preceded by a brief video presentation, A Man’s Vision, A University’s Commitment, A Shared Journey, which highlights UD’s successful efforts to publicize the collection, its academic value and the interest it has sustained among students, art lovers and educators from across the country, which was one of Hempel’s final projects.
Renick praised UD for housing the Paul R. Jones Collection and said the decision had caused a stir in the art world by changing the perception and promoting better understanding of African-America art. “When we picked up The New York Times and other publications and saw what the University of Delaware was doing, at that point I said to myself two things: I am going to meet Paul R. Jones, and I am coming to the University of Delaware. I have done both of those things, and I am richer as a result of it,” Renick said. “The University of Delaware has gone beyond rhetoric and created a stir in the art world through the acquisition of the Paul R Jones Collection,” Renick said. “I applaud you for thinking outside the box. Others could surely benefit from your leadership.” Renick said A&T has actively integrated art into its culture and academic activities. He gave a slide presentation showing art displays and the products of two artists-in-residence, Joseph Holston and Joyce Wellman, at A&T and its renovated space for University Galleries. “Why does art matter, and why is it so imperative that we understand that it matters right now?” Renick said. “If we examine for a moment what is being written by both artists and technologists, it is apparent that there is a widely held perception that an increasing convergence is bringing the arts and science, and the arts and technology, closer together.” In response to Renick’s proposal for academic collaboration between UD and A&T, UD Provost Dan Rich said A&T has been invited to participate in a joint faculty institute created by the University of Delaware/Spelman College Partnership Committee to better use the Paul R. Jones Collection as an educational resource, a joint summer scholarship program for art, art history and art conservation and an undergraduate summer leadership conference for Spelman and UD students. Renick is the ninth chancellor of North Carolina A&T since its founding in 1891. Before his appointment in July 1999, Renick was chancellor of the University of Michigan-Dearborn for more than six years. Renick earned his doctoral degree in public administration from Florida State University and has focused on building partnerships between higher education and the community-at-large throughout his career. He received his bachelor’s degree from Central State University in Ohio, where he was inducted into the Donald K. Anthony Achievement Hall of Fame in 1993. He earned his master’s degree in social work from Kansas University. Renick serves on many national boards and foundations, including the Presidential Board of Advisers on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, the North Carolina Board of Science and Technology, the Business-Higher Education Forum, the Educational Testing Services Advisory Board, the JSTOR Board of Trustees, the Jacob Lawrence Foundation, the Honorary Education Council of the National Minority Military Museum Foundation and the Parren J. Mitchell Foundation. Article by Martin Mbugua To learn how to subscribe to UDaily, click here. |
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