The "Art is Atrocity" project is a satirical conceptual art piece. Its purpose is to
draw attention to the lack or decline of art and music in schools by personifying the
opposing side of those who are against it. Everything you have seen on the billboards
or website was designed and placed with a purpose, including the horrendous web design
and the ironic title of the organization. This piece was meant to start a conversation
and get people thinking about how valuable art and music is to us as a whole, and how
important it is to maintain a balance between all subjects.
Many schools across the United States are forced to cut many subjects, and not just the
fine arts. Sports, extracurricular activities, afterschool programs, and even math and
science classes are suffering from a lack of courses offered and teachers, and increased
class sizes. Everything is being affected and we need a balance.
About a month after the website and billboards went up, we've received many messages from
all over the country and the world. Many spoke up in outrage while others provided their
own life story of how art or music changed their lives. The project has also been compared
to satirical or dark humorists such as Jonathan Swift and Samuel Clemens, and we've been
honored to be compared to such historical figures.
When you viciously attack something that someone is passionate about, most will push back.
However, our schools have been suffering long before this project started its fake campaign
(if not, a bit more subtly), and will continue to do so if we remain apathetic in our
awareness.