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Art
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“In 2003, we recorded a set of art based DVDs inspired by the culture of watching home videos. Through this, I developed a strategy which makes knowledge about the arts available to a large number of people. The adoption of this model for teaching art (a widely undersubscribed subject in many schools) has made knowledge readily available in a relatively attractive manner.”
Peju Layiwola (born 1967) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“This plan will focus on issues such as international standards for art development and the improvement of infrastructure and training opportunities. These efforts will contribute to the growth and recognition of the arts in Rwanda, attracting cultural tourism and establishing a stronger international presence for Rwandan art and culture.”
Sandrine Umutoni first seen 2023 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Minister talks priorities, investments as arts portfolio moves to Ministry of Youth The New Times (December, 21, 2023)
“The purpose of arts education is not to produce more artists, though that is a byproduct. The real purpose of arts education is to create complete human beings capable of leading successful and productive lives in a free society.”
Dana Gioia (born 1950) first seen 2007 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Commencement speech, Stanford University (2007-06-17)
“Curious,” she said. “I will do my best to pretend there was sense in that. As an aside, has it ever struck you that most masculine arts deal with destroying, while feminine arts deal with creation?”
Brandon Sanderson (born 1975) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“One of the best product of the 20th century Renaissance in Philippine arts and letters, Don Epifanio de los Santos y Cristobal exemplified the intellectual gentlemen whose passion for knowledge and the arts paralleled his life long existence.”
Epifanio de los Santos (1871–1928) said by 1928 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“But as more arts were invented, and some were directed to the necessities of life, others to recreation, the inventors of the latter were naturally always regarded as wiser than the inventors of the former, because their branches of knowledge did not aim at utility. ... This is why the mathematical arts were founded in Egypt; for there the priestly caste was allowed to be at leisure.”
Aristotle (384–322 BC) said by 322 BC at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Music is the deepest of the arts and deep beneath the arts.”
E. M. Forster (1879–1970) first seen 1947 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Harvard University Department of Music, Music and Criticism, A Symposium (May 1947; published 1948, p. 11)
“I sometimes wondered what the use of any of the arts was. The best thing I could come up with was what I call the canary in the coal mine theory of the arts. This theory says that artists are useful to society because they are so sensitive. They are super-sensitive. They keel over like canaries in poison coal mines long before more robust types realize that there is any danger whatsoever.”
Kurt Vonnegut (1922–2007) first seen 1969 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Physicist, Purge Thyself" in the Chicago Tribune Magazine (22 June 1969)
“...But when it comes to the subject of the arts, Spinoza is oddly reticent. His failure to consider the aesthetic response—surely a profound facet of human experience—is all the stranger when one compares him, again, to Plato who directs as much conflicted pondering to the arts, particularly to poetry, as to erotic love.”
Baruch Spinoza (1632–1677) said by 1677 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Rebecca Goldstein, in her article 'Literary Spinoza,'. In: The Oxford Handbook of Spinoza, edited by Michael Della Rocca (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2017)
“These creators, makers of the new, can never become obsolete, for in the arts there is no correct answer. The story of discoverers could be told in simple chronological order, since the latest science replaces what went before. But the arts are another story — a story of infinite addition. We must find order in the random flexings of the imagination.”
Daniel J. Boorstin (1914–2004) first seen 1992 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: The Creators: A History of Heroes of the Imagination (1992) (Vintage edition, 1993, ), Preface, p. XV
“Poetry and the arts can’t exist in America. Mere exposure to the arts does nothing for a mentality which is incorrigibly dialectical. The vital tensions and nutritive action of ideogram remain inaccessible to this state of mind.”
Marshall McLuhan (1911–1980) first seen 1948 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Letter to Ezra Pound (21 December 1948)
“The arts which achieve their effect through purity have never been arts that were good for everything. Greek sculpture (among others) with its decadence, teaches us this.”
Georges Braque (1882–1963) first seen 1917 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: p. 422 - Braque's quote, Paris 1917
“The military has more than 130 bands with more than 6000 musicians, costing about a half-billion dollars a year. Meanwhile the National Endowment for the Arts gets $155M, a paltry amount compared to other advanced democracies. Arts & artists should be robustly funded & supported!”
Marianne Williamson (born 1952) first seen 2019 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Twitter (24 Oct 2019)
“Few things are more shocking to those who practice the arts of success than the frank description of those arts.”
Logan Pearsall Smith (1865–1946) said by 1946 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“But the one thing you shd. not do is suppose that when something is wrong with the arts, it is wrong with the arts ONLY.”
Ezra Pound (1885–1972) first seen 1938 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Guide to Kulchur (1938), p. 60
“People often say, 'Ah, ultimate fighting is so violent,' but it's rooted in martial arts. Martial arts incarnate respect. You can't walk into a dojo and say to your sensei, 'Hey, salut tabarnac!' After every one of my fights I go and shake the hand of my opponent. I don't need to hate the other fighter to fight him well. It's a sport." **Interview with Isa Tousignant”
Georges St. Pierre (born 1981) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The UK has two things, the arts and education, and both of them it pushes into the corner. It's the hugest, hugest mistake. Why do British ministers meet anyone from the arts other than to cut them? Compared to Germany, Britain has got quite a long way to go there, frankly.”
Anish Kapoor (born 1954) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Under socialized industry progress in the industrial arts would be slower and would absorb a smaller proportion of individual interest, in order that progress in the finer intellectual and moral arts might be faster, and might engage a larger share of life.”
J. A. Hobson (1858–1940) said by 1940 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Passing over the other arts in silence, I shall speak briefly of that which concerns the health of mankind; indeed, of all the arts the genius of man has discovered it is by far the most beneficial and of prime necessity, although difficult and laborious.”
Andreas Vesalius (1515–1564) said by 1564 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Arts are a magnificent way to deal with multilingual people. Arts are an entryway.”
“One legacy of muralism is to make the point that we are losing the public commons. We should recognize we need them and fight for them. Parks and schools can be commons. Spaces and arts should not be privatized. Arts should be public...”
“We still have a journey to make, to make a Rwandan feel that he can leave his home and pay for a theater play in the same way he goes to Jay Polly’s concert. At least, I do hope this will change with the new generation. Together with other artists, we started an organisation “Kaami arts” through which we intend to prepare tomorrow’s audience and tomorrow’s performers by bringing arts to children.”
Eliane Umuhire (born 1986) first seen 2015 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: July is promising to be a busy month for local actor, dancer and dance instructor Eliane Umuhire. As a member of the Mashirika Performing Arts and Media Company, she will be part of the cast of ‘Imbabazi’, the musical b…
“I knew I didn’t want to be an accountant. I joined Mashirika Performing Arts and Ishyo Arts Centre and started performing with them”
Eliane Umuhire (born 1986) first seen 2017 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Eliane Umuhire has become one of Rwanda’s biggest acting stars. The actress also won an award for her role in the 2017 movie ‘Birds Are Singing in Kigali’. Courtesy photos.The New Times(November 22, 2019)
“Our stories are very interesting. He was a science pupil who became an arts pupil because of Principal D. J. Bullock. I was an arts pupil and I became a science pupil by providence. We are both familiar with the two terrains.”
Adenike Osofisan (born 1950) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The University of Lagos administration has been very receptive to suggestions. My proposal for the establishment of an arts and crafts Centre funded by TETFund was given priority by the university management. This concept when accomplished will invariably bring together students of different departments to learn skills that interface with the arts and help with job creation after school.”
Peju Layiwola (born 1967) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“This is a good day for the Creative Arts Industry, we are excited. Today, I am happy to announce that we have passed the Creative Arts Bill and very soon it will be assented to by the President”
Barbara Oteng Gyasi (born 1964) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I do kickboxing, martial arts; I do Pilates on different days. Literally my best thing to do is martial arts, because I pretend I am hitting people and I just visualise who pissed me off.”
Nana Kagga (born 1979) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“What’s important to us is that people who come to us with liberal arts backgrounds are dedicated students and want to learn. So if we put something in front of you, you’re going to learn it. You’re going to study it. You’re going to think, you’re going to ask questions, and you’re going to understand how to communicate well, because that’s a lot of what you learn from your liberal arts education”
Abigail Johnson (born 1961) wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Just like we have physics and we have applied physics, and we have mathematics and applied mathematics, we have fine arts and we have applied arts.”
Kunle Adewale (born 1981) first seen 2016 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: https://tribuneonlineng.com/i-sat-wasce-7-times-im-now-international-figure-creative-arts-olakunle-adewale-joel/, Nigerian Tribune, by David Olagunju, 16 July 2016
“I have dedicated a significant part of my life to various fields, including the arts, teaching, social service, directing films, and theater production. While I am recognized for my contributions to the arts, I take pride in my impact on youth, emphasizing social and emotional learning.”
Ina Norris wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“We introduced the National Arts Council of Botswana that will hire its CEO soon (and) already have a Director of Research, creative strategy, a Director of Legal Affairs and a Director of Corporate Affairs. The Arts Council will be used as a platform to better the creative industry as it is going to promote and regulate the sector.”
Honest Buti Billy wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“What drives my passion for creative arts is my belief that through arts, we can help people to imagine the future.”
Tendaiishe Chitima first seen 2021 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Getting to know Tendaiishe Chitima 3 July, 2021
“I am in my last year of study at Brandon University, toward a Bachelor of Arts Degree, majoring in Creative Arts (writing and theatre), with a double minor in Philosophy, and Gender and Women’s Studies.”
Kirsty Cameron wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The artistic contribution of any nation and any age must be in terms of creation. Performers, symphony organizations, opera houses, museums, libraries - important as they are - are not enough. The arts, if they are to live, must be living arts.”
Howard Hanson (1896–1981) said by 1981 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I spent eight years, I think, in college. I finished Bachelor of Arts in Theater Arts at the University of the Philippines-Diliman. Yes, I overstayed. It was great at university,”
Eugene Domingo (born 1971) first seen 2025 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Eugene Domingo recalls spending 8 years in college, By: Anne PasajolINQUIRER.net, 28 January 2025.
“The state has never really cared about the arts here and, although we have many people who are very rich, we also lack good private institutions for the promotions of the arts.”
J. D. 'Okhai Ojeikere (1930–2014) said by 2014 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Every other art,—as poetry, music, painting,—may be practised without the process showing forth the rules according to which it is conducted ;—but in the self-cognizant art of the philosopher, no step can be taken without declaring the grounds upon which it proceeds.”
Johann Gottlieb Fichte (1762–1814) said by 1814 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Abstract art is only painting. What about drama? There is no abstract art. You always start with something. Afterward you can remove all traces of reality.”
Pablo Picasso (1881–1973) first seen 1968 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Herschel Browning Chip (1968, p. 270).
“[A]dministration is an art as painting is an art; and ... no book can teach the practice of either.”
Walter Bagehot (1826–1877) said by 1877 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“A painting or sculpture not modeled on any real object is every bit as concrete and sensuous as a leaf or a stone.. ..[but] it is an incomplete art which privileges the intellect to the detriment of the senses.. .[art must be like..] fruit that grows in man, like a fruit on a plant or a child in it's mother's womb.”
Jean Arp (1886–1966) first seen 1932 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Notes From a Dada Diary, published in 1932; as quoted by Anna Moszynska, in Abstract Art, Thames and Hudson, London, 1990, p. 113
“Sculpture should walk on the tips of its toes, unostentatious, unpretentious, and light as the spoor of an animal in snow. Art should melt into and even merge with nature itself. This is obviously contrary to painting and sculpture based on nature. By so doing, art will rid itself more and more of self-centredness, virtuosity and absurdity.”
Jean Arp (1886–1966) first seen 1958 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Arp on Arp: poems, essays, memories. p. 327 (1958)
“My etchings have.. ..the mistake of being processed as images and to have at the same time the meaning of epigrams. It is the union of pure painting with pure graphics.. .From now onwards my task will be the division of art and graphics, and the full development of both fields. The pure art has already turned to impressionism and the graphics is going to do it.”
Paul Klee (1879–1940) first seen 1883 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Quote in a letter to his wife, 12 June, 1906; as cited in Paul Klee. Das Frühwerk 1883-1922, p. 50.
“Abstract art as it is conceived at present is a game bequeathed to painting and sculpture by art history. One who accepts its premises must consent to limit his imagination to a depressing casuistry regarding the formal requirements of modernism.”
Harold Rosenberg (1906–1978) said by 1978 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“The art of painting is the Art of hollowing out a canvas.”
Georges Seurat (1859–1891) said by 1891 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: from an essay by Roger Fry, in 'The Dial', Camden, New Jersey, September 1926
“I wanted an art that was faithful to itself [loyal] and would have nothing to do with the business of creating illusions. I dreamed of painting glasses from which no-one would ever think of drinking, beaches that would be quite unsuitable for bathing, nudes who would be definitively chaste. I wanted an art which in the first place would appear as a representation of the impossible.”
Jean Metzinger (1883–1956) said by 1956 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“Always when I look at anyone's art, I get flashes of the person. If I walk into a room and there's a painting by Joan Mitchell, I say, "There's Joannie." Or Grace, if it's Grace Hartigan. And to me all art is self-portraits.”
Elaine de Kooning (1918–1989) first seen 1981 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Quote in: a tape-recorded interview with Elaine de Kooning on August 27, 1981; conducted by Phyllis Tuchman, for the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution: Oral Histories.
“The art of painting is only the art of expressing the invisible by the visible. Whether its roads be great or small, they are sown with problems which it is permitted to sound for one's self as truth, but which it is well to leave in their darkness as mysteries.”
Eugène Fromentin (1820–1876) said by 1876 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Quote from The Old Masters of Belgium and Holland - Les Maitres d’Autrefois, 'Preface', Eugène Fromentin; ed. Mary Caroline Robbins, publisher: J. R. Osgood and company, Boston 1882, p. iv
“The works done by mathematical formulas, even though are the works of brain, do not deserve to be called Art. Painting is Art, Photography is not.”
Laxmi Prasad Devkota (1909–1959) said by 1959 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
“I saw the passers-by on the avenue clearly and simply, in the way they are in Japanese prints [she saw some earlier, together with Mary Casatt in the 'Ecole des Beaux Arts', Paris]. I was thrilled, I knew definitely why I had been painting badly and why I would never paint that way again. I mean to say, I am fifty years old and once a year at least I have the same joy and the same hope.”
Berthe Morisot (1841–1895) first seen 1891 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Quote of Berthe Morisot, Jan. 1891; in 'Carnet Noir'; as cited in Berthe Morisot by Monique Angoulvent, Morance, Paris, 1933, p. 97
“Of all the media of expression employed by man (and let us never forget that they are many) none are so unstable, none so quick to change their meaning, as words. Even sculpture, architecture, painting, in their noblest works, speak differently under different conditions; but these arts are relatively immortal compared with speech.”
L. P. Jacks (1860–1955) said by 1955 at the latest wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source