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In the Youth Insights program, we do many discussions on the art we see, and what they mean to us. Below is the type of discussion we do. Read through the article, and tell us what you think!
What is "American"?
"America is not like a blanket - one piece of unbroken cloth, the same color, the same texture, the same size. America is more like a quilt - many pieces, many colors, many sizes, all woven and held together by a common thread." Jesse Jackson, 20th-century political and religious leader
"There is only one reason for the development of art in America, and that is that the people of America learn the means of expressing themselves in their own time and in their own land...The American who is useful as an artist is one who studies his own life and his own experiences." Robert Henri
Take a moment to think about cultural and national identity.
Between 1892 and 1924, the largest number of immigrants in the nation's history arrived at Ellis Island to start a new life in the United States. By 1954, more than 17 million newcomers from all over the world had come through its doors, bringing their cultural heritage and contributing to the rich fabric and texture of twentieth-century American life.
Works by artists at the beginning of the century reflect a rapidly changing society; innovative portraiture and representations of the American people probe issues of power, race, and class.
Explore Who "We" Are
"What is an American?" This question was first asked in 1782, and has been answered differently for over 200 years. In a speech given on September 8, 1919, President Woodrow Wilson, answered the question in this way:
"Sometimes people call me an idealist. Well, that is the way I know I am an American. America, my fellow citizens - I do not say it in disparagement of any other great people - America is the only idealistic nation in the world."
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© 2000 Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, New York
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