In social studies we finished talking about the turn of the twentieth century.I asked the students why an immigrant, struggling merely to survive in the confusion and chaos of a "New World," would expend time and energy on the creation of art. We came up with multiple possible reasons:
- Immigrant art reflected their old home and culture and made them feel more secure in their new surrounding; it gave them cultural stability.
- Art could be therapeutic.
- A few found they could make money off of their artistic abilities.
- As a general rule, human beings want to make their surroundings beautiful.
- There is joy in creativity!
Please remember that the genre worksheet is due--typed, following MLA format--on September 30. That is coming up FAST!