Why I Like Art (and My Job)

Hi my name is Felicia Follum. I am a Cooper Center staff, artist, social media junkie, and am currently teaching the blogging class (this first sentence was written by the class).

When Maggie (a student in my Blogging and Social Media class at the Cooper Center) asked me to write about why I like art, I knew the topic would be a perfect fit for a guest post on the students’ blogs (since their blogs are currently set to private, I thought I would share this guest post on my own blog as well).

Why I like art… As most artists would say, I have always been an artist.

In high school I wanted to be an art teacher because I loved watching my friends and peers who didn’t enjoy school light up and really thrive in the art room. I have always liked helping people and saw art as the perfect way to relate to my friends and others when they needed a little extra encouragement.

Since attending the University of Wyoming as an art and conceptual graphic design student, I have become passionate about using art and creativity as a tool for social justice, activism, and communication. Art can make a political statement much more clearly and directly without being a “slap in the face” than a good portion of the political dialog around us.  People tend to THINK about beautiful art rather than becoming defensive and belligerent. When we can create a work that consists of both concept and aesthetic beauty we have created a powerful tool and made a difference in the lives of those who have engaged with the wok.

I suppose my simple answer to the complex question “why do you like art” can be summed up in one sentence. I like art because it is a wonderful tool to help make the world a better and more beautiful place.

I am fortunate to have the opportunity to use art, creativity, and innovation to work with such beautiful and wonderful people on a regular basis. The Cooper Center (click to see photos the Hip-Hop class I teach) is a perfect example of why I like art. We are using the arts to better the lives of people with disabilities (and all who come in contact with their work) every day.

PS I would like to thank Maggie, Nik, Eleanor, and Molly for inspiring this blog post.