Open Call: Artivist

Recently, I found out that Boston public schools are no longer teaching cursive writing to the children. Are you kidding me?

And I was immediately saddened. Because cursive writing is beautiful ✍️, (just look at the Declaration of Independence)

Historically, being able to write our names, to pick up a pen and write our signatures meant a lot. As we went from the rudimentary “X” to actually being able to sign a legal document, and to vote. Yes, it’s a big deal.

It makes you wonder, did everyone once know how to read the Rosetta Stone with its mysterious hieroglyphics? Did they collectively just forget how to read it? Or was it no longer taught? What if that’s happening again? And is it a case of the “haves” versus the “have nots”? Purely based on economics? I mean is it just poor kids who aren’t being taught? Coming from that perspective, it’s problematic for me.

When I was at MassMOCA, a school bus arrived full of giggling children. They viewed the Joseph Grimely exhibition and stared at the notes written in cursive, which they hadn’t learnt to read and asked, “what does it say?”

“Hello”

Cursive writing is art & the “Artivist” in us, mustn’t let it die. My kids aren’t little any more, but if they were I’d be fighting to keep cursive writing in schools. Wake up 🙏

For two hundred years my ancestors were denied an education, it seems silly to start that nonsense again. My promise to anyone reading this, is that any & every child that I sit down with will learn a little cursive. I’m going to teach them how to sign their names, so that the English language and history isn’t distorted.

Wakeupeverybody #arte #art #art #groupexhibition #artexhibition #contemporaryart #artistssupportartists #artcommunity #kunst #artcreatescommunity