Response to Lucia Sanroman

Response to Lucia Sanroman

This presentation was different than that of others we have seen because it was not from 
the point of view of an artist, but a curator and the different challenges she faced in her 
process to create something of value. Being in a place with so much violence and social 
problems would definitely serve as a point of inspiration for many artists and and anyone 
with a real passion for helping other humans, but as she mention her associate telling her: 
"art alone cannot make a difference."  Now whether this is true or not, the common 
perception of art is just that, not making any difference. I really enjoyed learning about 
the project where all of the college students moved the mountain up one meter, because 
of how monumentally pointless of an act it was, and I also understood why she did not 
want that piece in her presentation. Art is never pointless, and truly successful art makes
a true difference in the minds of those who observe it. Art like such as the banners that 
hung in the gallery, representing the banners used by drug cartels, points very obviously 
at a problem and it's significance within that culture. After that it is the responsibility of 
those who have these pieces as a mental launching point to go out and make the change 
happen for real. Change cannot happen without change of the mind. I feel Lucia 
summarized herself perfectly with her closing statement of "Curators create discourse".
Artists will always be held away in their caves creating art for whatever purpose they pull 
inspiration from, but without the collection ad display by curators like Lucia Sanroman 
these works will most likely never reach the minds of the masses.