REMARKS
Council Member Holden shares his personal experience with arts and its importance
0:29:47
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158 sec
Council Member Holden shares his personal journey with arts, emphasizing its life-changing impact and the importance of finding purpose through creative pursuits. He discusses how art education influenced his career path and how he continues to support arts programs.
- Holden credits an art teacher for guiding him towards a career he loves
- He found purpose and enjoyment in graphic design, even though his current job is unrelated
- Holden supports the NEON program in the Department of Probation, which exposes clients and students to various forms of art
Robert Holden
0:29:47
Yeah.
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You know, I think, you know, at least with me, it was, like I said in my opening, there was an art teacher in my junior year that said, you should get a job in something that you love to do and not live for only the weekends like most people do.
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In the arts, we don't live if you're working in the arts, we don't live for any particular day.
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We enjoy every day.
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And that's what I found.
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I found and it and it goes different ways, but in it saved my life.
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I know it.
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Because I was I didn't know what I wanted to do.
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I knew I wanted art, but I people said you couldn't get a job as a as a painter, which I wanted to be, so and and make a living.
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And so then he said, well, what about commercial art?
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Or at that time it was commercial art.
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Now it's graphic design.
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And so I went into that.
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And even the job I have today, nothing related to art, it's the furthest thing from it, let's say.
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But I still enjoy designing, that I get lost in it.
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If I'm doing graphic design work and somebody gives me a job to do that or, you know, volunteer or a poster, I say, I can do that.
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And I love that more than anything.
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And it so I can understand how a veteran could get lost in it, can get can find himself or herself.
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But it also gives more importantly, it gives you purpose.
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And you have something to offer.
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And when people appreciate your work, you feed off that.
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So it's a very important aspect.
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I think the arts we should have had this hearing a long time ago.
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But I'm always interested in how people find the arts.
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And making it like, you try to make it as an actor and it didn't work out, maybe.
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It's a tough, tough business and it takes several years.
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I, too, had the same situation, like I said, with painting.
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And but gradually, it leads to other things in the arts.
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Like, I funded the NEON program in in the Department of Probation, which exposes, clients and students to the arts: photography, poetry, writing, whatever there are.
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And then I saw the most amazing work because I taught college for 40 years in the arts, but I had students who coming from probation that were advanced beyond even college level, which I I was so thrilled with.
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And I continue to support that program.
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The NEON program saves lives.
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I see I see that because I've gone to their exhibits, and they're amazing individuals.
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But enough about, my background.
0:32:25
I just want to, again, question some some of the, by the way, commissioner, resolution let me go back to your comments on, some of the testimony you mentioned.
