Monday Major Madness: Art

What is art?  Art is the cultural expression of society. This is the emotion in human beings. Art can be a form of poetry, a creative story, a drawing, a statue to any form of dance or study. Art lacks a satisfactory definition. It is easier to describe it as the way something is done -- "the use of skill and imagination in the creation of aesthetic objects, environments, or experiences that can be shared with others" -- rather than what it is.  
The arts are a powerful vehicle for communication, a way to express visions that are beyond the capacity of words and a medium for cultural enlightenment. Knowledge of the arts is an indispensable foundation for enlightened citizenship in our increasingly complicated world. Art teaches us that beauty is not the goal of all art; art is about understanding a particular subject(s) with extreme intensity and then expressing that intensity with the available means to the artists. Most people enjoy art not because it is beautiful but it is unique; how else would people recognize the diverse use of art from famous painters (Rembrandt, Leonardo da Vinci) or musicians (Beethoven, Mozart). Emotions matter in all directions; art teaches you to be emotionally connected to your work as an individual, and to also reconcile the emotional connection that will result with a judging audience. Sometimes there is no single, right answer; art teaches you to be open to multiple perspectives and interpretations that are often “gray”, not “black and white”.

The best place on-campus to study such a creative outlet is the College of Arts and Sciences. The College consists of 22 academic departments whose chairs and directors report directly to the Dean: African American Studies, American Studies, Anthropology, Art and Art History, Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Communicative Disorders, Criminal Justice, English, Geography, Geological Sciences, History, Mathematics, Modern Languages and Classics, Music, New College, Philosophy, Physics and Astronomy, Political Science, Psychology, Religious Studies, Theatre and Dance, and Woman's Studies. The College provides the fundamental liberal arts foundation necessary to the education of all University of Alabama students. It is dedicated to educating individuals based on the liberal arts philosophy of making each student a life-long learner.