BACKGROUND OF OUR CAUSE
Working Towards a Better Tomorrow
The arts and sciences have always been a prevalent piece of culture throughout world history. From the ability to express our ideas on a wider scale with the invention of the printing press, to the invention of the compass, which opened a new world of geometric design, creation and expressions have always been pivotal to the advancement of the human race. And yet, there has always been the same pattern in most history books. We have always seen similar skin tones in all of our influential renaissance artists - we have always seen paler skin as the headline of innovation. Seldom have we read history books that dedicate chapters to artists of different skin tones, or scientists who were part of the lower bracket in society. We can see in periods such as the Gilded Age or the Industrial Revolution how migrants and African Americans were being shut out of these groups - deemed as unfit for creativity or innovation in America. And though the idea of minorities having to do with advancement was shunned in earlier time periods, people of color have done a great deal in dedicating to American culture and scientific advancement.
Take for example Augusta Savage, who was an African American sculptor, painter, and civil rights activist - and one of the most prominent faces of the Harlem Renaissance. She greatly influenced American society through her work at the WPA, and her bold activism through her artwork, yet she is rarely mentioned in any American history book.
More recently, we can see immigrant artists such as Rafael Soriano, a Cuban artist who was a master at presenting emotion through color and canvas. With his contemporary abstract methodology, Soriano was an inspiration to artists both in the U.S. and in Cuba.
Imagine how much more society could have prospered if more immigrants or minorities such as the ones above weren’t prevented from sharing their ideas.
Today, low income and minority youth are still being discouraged from the arts and sciences. As they continue seeing only a fraction of history books commending people who have their skin tones, and as they are deterred from seeking a creative outlet to guide them in the right direction, minorities are pushed farther and farther from future history books. Even today, we are seeing public schools that are key to a low income youth’s development cutting down funding for art teachers, supplies, and programs. Schools are prioritizing facts and statistics over creativity and innovation, and it's only preventing our country’s low income youth from finding their own voice. To combat this, many art universities are now offering free courses online to guarantee more access to creative opportunities. But is this enough? Students from different backgrounds are often told that they are crazy for having new ideas. We want to remodel these views.
At SteamstART, we want to change history. Through steam workshops and art galleries, we want to provide minority youth with the creative outlet they’ve been missing - one which will propel them towards their future. We are one of very few steam programs in the United States that actually places a huge emphasis on the A in steAm, as we believe that art is a huge part in the basis of society and culture.