The Down-to-Earth Arts

I wonder about the concept of “fine” arts.  When referring to culture, refinement means “elegance in behavior or manner” and is synonymous with “finesse, polish, sophistication, urbanity.”  Generally, refinement is “the process of removing impurities or unwanted elements from a substance.”  

But, is refinement always better? This morning I ground some wheat and made waffles (freshly ground wheat flour, eggs, salt, milk, baking powder, and olive oil).  They were delicious!  We ate them with pure maple syrup or homemade jam.  I left the much finer white flour in the cupboard and, as a result, our waffles were more nutritious and will stick with us much longer than more refined alternatives.
 
The concept of refinement in the arts is typically applied to differentiate “high” art from “low” art: for example, classical music from popular music, live theater from movies, ballet from hip hop, and visual art from crafts. Artistic distinctions parallel distinctions between people — sophisticated upper classes from unrefined lower classes. 

I would like to join with others to develop and promote a more down-to-earth, holistic, inclusive view of the arts that avoids the dominance of one culture over others and, by the same token, one group of people over others.  Yes, some practices might feel more refined and sophisticated, but I would like to suggest that how we think about refinement may simply be an extension of our own cultural and social biases. Plus, some things that are less refined could, in fact, be more deeply fulfilling and lasting.  

​Let's come down to earth and participate joyfully with each other in a variety of arts, without pretentiousness, without hierarchy.