This month, we share and uplift a handful of student voices. These future visionaries and creators speak to how and why the arts matter to their lives, to this community and to our world.

The arts matter to me. The arts have helped me articulate myself in ways I originally never deemed possible. They’ve helped me shape self-expression and who I am as a person. Art has helped me meet incredible people. Without art, I surely would have never found other artists who, like me, could be so open and understanding. Before I had art in my life, I was lonely. I am now a light source; I have meaning. 

The arts are undoubtedly necessary. I believe that the arts, along with love, are one of the only tools that can liberate humanity.

WERNER QUINTANILLA
12th Grade Inner-City Arts Student  |  Creative Writing
 

The arts matter to Werner, to his peers and to the future of this city.