This is personal…
We asked advocates to submit stories about how the arts have personally impacted their lives. We’ve chosen our favorites to share each day during Arts Advocacy Week 2020, to show legislators that ALL South Carolina citizens have a dog in this fight.
I’m new to South Carolina, but not to the arts. I began visiting art museums as a very young child. So when my husband and I decided to retire to a community closer to our grandchildren, I decided to explore the Columbia Museum of Art with our three year old grandson. We participate in Gladys’ Gang, an introduction to the museum’s collection through story, observation and practice, designed especially for preschoolers.
Once a month, we spend an hour together considering topics like opposites, and animals, and shapes to name a few. City living was one of our favorite topics. We looked at cityscapes and talked about tall buildings with windows shaped like rectangles. We saw big doors and small doors. Some buildings were constructed of sturdy red bricks others were painted bright colors. All the buildings had a purpose — some were shops or restaurants, others were apartments. People were strolling along the sidewalks, stopping off to talk to one another or visit one of the stores or grab a bite to eat at one of the restaurants. I had a grand time thinking about city life with the preschoolers.
It wasn’t until, we left the museum that I realized how deeply the morning’s activity touched our lives. As we walked back to the car, parked in a metered space on Main Street, my grandson talked about various aspects of city living. “We can do anything in this city.” he proclaimed, pointing out the interesting shops along Main Street. We ventured into a trendy gift shop and marveled at the colorful merchandise before we happened on a charming restaurant with outdoor seating. The three year old declared, “You can even eat lunch downtown.” And that we did, enjoying a tasty meal while we watched all the people strolling along the sidewalks, visiting with one another and stopping off to purchase one thing or another, just like the people in the paintings we saw.
That lesson has stuck with me in ways I didn’t expect. I find that as I drive through downtown Columbia now, I am not so focused on finding a parking space or making sure I don’t miss one turn or another, but rather, I marvel at the architecture. I notice interesting shops and restaurants or points of historic interest. I see murals and other street art. I see the people of South Carolina as they go about their everyday business – shopping, eating, running errands, expressing themselves in purposeful and creative ways. My grandson’s words echo in my mind: you can do anything in this city. I like that idea.
Carol Hunter
