Editorial
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Multnomah should invest in art
Multnomah lacks an emphasis on the arts in spite of the college's stated mission to produce culturally aware servant-leaders.
Walk around Multnomah's carefully cultivated, award-winning campus and through the rectangular brick buildings. No sculptures captivate imagination, no paintings inspire reflection and no architecture celebrates God's majesty.
The administration seldom promotes Portland's numerous symphonies, galleries, theaters and poetry readings. Professional, accomplished artists rarely speak, much less perform in chapel. Is Multnomah advocating an isolationist approach to the arts?
Michelangelo, William Shakespeare, George Frederick Handel, Frederic Chopin and George Gershwin engaged their culture--and transformed society.
Through centuries and evolving worldviews, artists have grabbed their society's media.They sculpted, painted, composed, dramatized and wrote mesmerizing masterpieces. Artists interpreted creation, enjoyed creativity, edified humanity, and glorified God.
If Multnomah is serious about launching culturally aware graduates, it must do a better job of cultivating awareness and appreciation for the arts. Multnomah cannot be a liberal arts institution, nor should it be. But Multnomah can incorporate activities into the school year and better prepare its students to engage their culture in the following areas:
God has created a masterpiece with man as his magnum opus. As Multnomah graduates enter the world, they may not understand all of the arts they encounter.
As Christ's ambassadors, however, they should at least be aware of how their culture expresses its humanity.
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