New Relationship with International Arts Movement

From it’s inception, Art Underground has drawn significant inspiration from International Arts Movement (IAM) based out of New York City.  You may have noticed that our Mission and Vision draw significantly from the language of their own, so it just makes sense to join their movement.

From their website:

“Art is society’s existential statement, in answer to the question, “Why live?” International Arts Movement works as a catalyst to inspire people to hope, engage deeply into the depth of culture’s critical zones, and create a world that ought to be. We believe that artistic excellence as a model of “what ought to be” paves the way for lasting, enduring humanity.”

IAM was founded by world-renown Nihonga artist and writer Makoto Fujimura.  In addition to being the first non-Japanese citizen admitted into the post MFA doctoral program at Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, and a member of the National Council of the Arts, he has spent his career pursuing the “rehumanization” of culture through the arts.  You can find more information about Fujimura here.

As Art Underground grows and seeks out new opportunities to inspire a St. Louis that “ought to be,” we will be working with IAM to coordinate our efforts, learn from each others’ experience, and join the movement that includes so many organizations from across the globe.

Art Underground is now a “Local Group” within the wider movement that is IAM.

What does this relationship with IAM mean for Art Underground?
We will have the opportunity to network with and learn from artists and creative catalysts with enormous amounts of experience, helping us to continually pursue artistic and creative excellence.  Art Underground seeks to be a movement,  never an institution or a bureaucracy.  This will provide a forum for the exchange of innovation for movement-sustainability, without falling onto the easy path of existing for our own sake.

What does this relationship with IAM mean for St. Louis?
This will enable anyone to connect with a global vision that is still distinctly St. Louis.  This will take a variety of forms, and connect the city to a creative community that extends well beyond our regional or cultural borders.

In English? What does this mean practically?

First, we continue what we are doing.  We will continue to seek to revitalize our urban environment through a culture of creativity emerging from and inspired by the underground art scene of St. Louis City.  We will continue to engage with society’s existential question of “why live?”  This relationship will help us find new ways of doing this, such as sponsoring conferences and inviting IAM Staff Members and Artists as keynote speakers, holding discussions in local galleries about art, culture and faith, and inviting new voices to join the conversation.  We also plan to participate with IAM Global via Live Webcasts and possibly sending groups to the Annual Encounter Conferences in New York City.  The possibilities are limitless.