Arts

A Case for Artistic Training

March 25, 2013  • Institute Contributor

As part of the Aspen Institute’s Washington Ideas Roundtable Series, noted classical violinist Aaron Dworkin recently spoke with the Institute’s Arts Program Director Damian Woetzel, and 60 other leaders in the field. The gathered discussed the challenges, opportunities and imperative for creating diversity in the arts.

As the founder and president of The Sphinx Organization, a national nonprofit that encourages the participation of African-Americans and Latinos in classical music—while simultaneously debunking cultural stereotypes—Dworkin laid out the gravity of not investing in artistic and creative training for a broad and diverse group of American children. “We will wind up with a generation of professionals who do not have artistic training, and that goes directly into the creativity that we see in all of our businesses in our core economy,” he said. “If we don’t do it, other countries will and they will surpass us.”

To watch the entire roundtable discussion, click here.