|
|
SCULPTUREWORKS |
|
About the Art for Humanity Foundation
The Art for Humanity Foundation, which is a subsidiary of the National Heritage Foundation, was established by Barry Johnston in 1978 to promote responsible growth in public awareness of art and values. Its first fifteen years were devoted to creating a national sculpture figure modeling competition which touched the lives of more than 300 of some of the finest young artists around the country. In 1994, this competition was enthusiastically adopted by the National Sculpture Society leaving the Art for Humanity Foundation free to redirect its attention to creating an apprenticeship program in alignment with the placement of public sculptures.
Over the past few years, Barry Johnston has offered study programs consisting of figure modeling and drawing from life, abstract design problem solving, and the study of ways of integrating the figure into architectural settings. The program explores ways and means of integrating natural motif into architectural detail, an objective motivated by the belief that quality design within an architectural setting evolves from the ability to integrate natural form with geometry. Students are encouraged to develop architectural designs combining geometric shapes with the figure and natural elements. Architectural forms help the occupant relate to the geometry of the building; natural motif gives the occupant a sense of belonging. Synthesizing nature and geometry not only is the oldest approaches but counters the impersonal and utilitarian obsessions in our time. When funding is available, workshops have been set up to study the figure and to encourage imaginative works derived from the model.
The following article defines one philosophical mission of the Art for Humanity Foundation:
Fear Breeds Intolerance by Barry Woods Johnston
Just why it has been clear to me our enemies can just walk into our cities with "the big one" I can’t say. Perhaps because I lived through the bomb shelter years of the 50's, or had overcome my own fears having served in Vietnam in the 60's, or have lived and traveled in Europe, India, and China in the 70's, 80's and 90's, listening to the views of others. In any case, the danger is now clear to everyone. But in this awareness, a kind of materialistic pragmatism is gradually overwhelming our ability to envision a positive future. In this pragmatism, the threat of terrorism creates a fear that is strangling our ability to be tolerant and prosper as a society. Intolerance and fear are teetering our economy and our way of life. As Americans, since 9/11 we have watched our society spiral into an abyss of fear and paranoia fed by the lop-sided drama of the media. Of course, terrorism is in essence intolerant. It’s goal is to create fear and intolerance. We can only effectively resist its evil by condemning the intolerance within ourselves and wherever it exists elsewhere. "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself" were the wise words of FDR conveyed at his first inauguration and the first step out of the Great Depression. To watch the news, there seems to be much to fear, but fear is a curse on our future and must be overcome.
In a greater sense, this is an appeal to all concerned to resist the negative trend that are stifling our self-determination and ability to function, spiraling us into an abyss of utter paranoia, intolerance, and growing chaos. Our identity as happy and productive individuals is our ability to have faith, hope, and to love. Today’s obsessive pragmatism, when applied to politics, clouds the simple issue of our identity and humanity, which was so clear to those who crafted the Constitution. To refresh your memory, the First Amendment states: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." For those who believe that freedoms of speech, of the press, to peaceably assemble, and to petition the Government for redress of grievances have nothing to do with our right to practice our faith and to be hopeful and loving, and even to influence the Government concerning aspirations of faith, think again!!. Political pragmatism today deceives the public into believing the Constitution is about "separation of state and church." Instead, the First Amendment obliges our government to protect our right to practice our faith, and to be free to hope and to be loving. Out of the fertile ground of self-determination we will be able to prosper as a society. The First is about taking responsibility for our freedoms, for every guarantee is a mandate for responsible action. Aspiring to the challenges of faith, hope and love, we will become free to speak and write about our understanding of truth, to confront the Government and others in redress for the cries of the helpless. For, faced with the threat of nuclear terrorism, without the Constitution, any authoritarian can rise to power, even in America, and take us on a "witch hunt" into servitude.