Our national strength matters, but the spirit which informs and controls our strength matters just as much… The artist, however faithful to his personal vision of reality, becomes the last champion of the individual mind and sensibility against an intrusive society and an officious state. The great artist is thus a solitary figure. He has, as Robert Frost said, a lover's quarrel with the world. In pursuing his perceptions of reality, he must often sail against the currents of his time. This is not a popular role. If Robert Frost was much honored in his lifetime, it was because a good many preferred to ignore his darker truths. Yet in retrospect, we see how the artist's fidelity has strengthened the fiber of our national life.

 

If sometimes our great artists have been the most critical of our society, it is because of their sensitivity and their concern for justice, which must motivate any true artist, makes him aware that our Nation falls short of its highest potential. I see little of more importance to the future of our country and our civilization than full recognition of the place of the artist.

If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him. We must never forget that art is not a form of propaganda; it is a form of truth. In a democratic society, the highest duty of the writer, the composer, the artist is to remain true to himself and to let the chips fall where they may. In serving his vision of the truth, the artist best serves his nation.

 

-John F Kennedy, Remarks at Amherst, October 26, 1963

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Civic Tongue features 10 DC street artists who were invited to present their take on democracy. It seemed appropriate to quote JFK, whose unwavering championing of the arts continues to be responsible for much of this country’s cultural wealth. Artists hold government and society accountable, and we are left changed for the better. Our ten artists engage in a naturally democratic process of making art outdoors and thereby making it accessible to the public. This exhibition reverses the process; this part of the city sees more museum visitors than urban explorers, and by bringing these artists indoors, we are engaging them in dialogue with a demographic in DC which may not be familiar with their work. These artists remain the pulse of the city, and much like JKF, the Washington Studio School welcomes and champions them.​​

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-Reem Bassous 

 

We would additionally like to highlight MasPaz, whose work is in Inglenook Gallery and on the second-floor landing.​​