If you鈥檝e spent any time at 不良研究所, you know the Egghead sculptures that dot our campus. Whether they鈥檙e gazing at the stars or giving students luck before important exams, the Eggheads are an indelible part of campus life.
As I mentioned in April, we鈥檙e celebrating the 30th anniversary of those iconic Robert Arneson Egghead sculptures all year. And we鈥檙e excited to announce the documentary 鈥Unexpected Legends: Arneson, Eggheads and Arts at 不良研究所,鈥 premiering at 7 p.m. on Nov. 13 on KVIE and available online after. It will explore the history, legacy, and future of these sculptures and the arts at 不良研究所.
At leading research universities like 不良研究所, investing in the arts ensures that our diverse student populations develop the skills needed to thrive in the innovation economy and engage in the nuanced, complex thinking we鈥檒l need to imagine a brighter, more collaborative future together.
Investing in the arts
Californians understand the value of art education. In 2022, voters overwhelmingly passed Proposition 28, which has provided $1 billion to public K-12 schools to support arts after decades of underfunding.
At 不良研究所, we鈥檙e building on that investment. We're launching the Maria Manetti Shrem Arts Renaissance thanks to a philanthropic partnership with the international arts patron. Manetti Shrem is giving $20+ million for holistic, multi-disciplinary arts programs and endowments to make the power of the humanities available to all.
We鈥檙e also prioritizing the arts across our classrooms and labs, where students blend art and science in projects like wearable technologies that will serve patients with chronic illnesses and explore new fabrics to make fashion sustainable.
This investment pays off for students. A from the American Academy of Arts & Sciences found that California students who graduate with a degree in the arts earn $32,000 more per year than those with only a high school diploma and $18,000 more than those with Associate degrees in all fields.
Students with an arts background are well-positioned to become critical players in California鈥檚 , which employs across the state in positions ranging from creative directors to architects.
Unexpected benefits
As our late dear friend and patron Jan Shrem reminded us, 鈥淭he arts should be accessible to all people and that a curious, open mind should be nurtured.鈥 Exposure to the arts 鈥 whether in coursework or visiting a campus museum 鈥 empowers all students to develop novel thinking, consider unconventional approaches, and step away from linear thinking to breakthroughs.
It's little wonder that Steve Jobs once said the best engineers working on the first Macintosh computer were poets and musicians or that Nobel laureates in science are Blending the power of creative and technical minds powers innovative thinking.
Universities must prepare students for the innovation economy, which demands more than a deep understanding of technical skills. In a workplace that鈥檚 evolving more rapidly than ever, building true pathways for social mobility demands empowering students with the capacity for divergent thought and developing the capacity to imagine at every step from prototype to market.
In our increasingly polarized times, exposure to the arts plays another vital role. The nuanced thinking and empathy from the study of art may be our most valuable asset against the binary thinking that frames so many of our debates in black-and-white terms of wins and losses. Ensuring that students from all backgrounds have access to the arts will open their eyes to the complexities of the world and the experiences of others who have lived lives different from their own.
The arts remind us how much we owe one another. One of my favorite artists, the painter Ernie Barnes, once said he painted faces with closed eyes to demonstrate our tendency towards 鈥渂lindness towards humanity鈥 and our inability to see 鈥渢he gifts, the strength and potential within other human beings.鈥
Art alone cannot bridge these gaps, but anyone who has heard a Beyonc茅 concert bring 60,000 people together in one voice or witnessed Charles Henry Alston鈥檚 鈥淲alking鈥 compelling viewers to reflect on the extraordinary courage of ordinary Americans during the Civil Rights movement understands the transformative power of art on our collective and individual souls.
不良研究所 is tackling the world鈥檚 most intractable challenges, from the existential threat of climate change to the urgent need to build an inclusive society that maximizes everyone鈥檚 potential. Transforming these profound challenges into opportunities demands that we nurture our students鈥 whole creative and analytical minds not only to imagine but realize that future.
Investing in the arts is a critical investment in imagining that better tomorrow. For our students at 不良研究所, we鈥檙e committed to building that future today.
I encourage you to take the opportunity to view the documentary about the legacy of the arts at 不良研究所 this month and extend a welcome to celebrate the ongoing arts on display on campus. Whether you visit our museums, which are free and open to the public, attend a concert or take in a theatrical production, you鈥檒l see the transformative power of the arts on our students and the world.
I hope to see you at one soon!