The America: Now and Here Commencement Project at Art Schools Across the Country

“Always do what you are afraid to do…” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Cranbrook Academy commencement was a great experience for me because, simply put, it was like there was something shining on that beautiful spring day, a beacon of hope that said “there is more possibility for these people than one can imagine.” I wanted to convey that sentiment from a vantage point of interdisciplinary practice. Art: It’s not just about galleries or museums these days – with the rise of webstreaming services, microniche GPS enabled “geo-tagging” and the ubiquitous presence of social networks in the form of TwitPic and Instagram etc etc, there has been a radical revolution in how art is present in everyday life. What I wanted to present with my commencement speech was basically to unpack several issues from the present moment – a gridlocked political process in the Red-State/Blue State divide, and the flatlined economy – and present the modern life that the students would be facing, not as a dire scenario, but as an opportunity to enageg and challenge the world around us with the belief that the future is bright and full of possibility. These are cynical times. We all know that. But in one way or another, on that beautiful spring day, for a moment, I wanted to push that reality aside so that the students would be able to see on the other side of the theater curtain. It was a pleasure and honor to give the commencement speech, and I wish the Class of 2012 best of luck! Remember – many times, the world is what you make of it.

–Paul D. Miller, NY 2012