Quotes

- George Sand

"With the pride of the artist, you must blow against the walls of every power that exists, the small trumpet of your defiance."

- Norman Mailer

"When power leads man toward arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations. When power narrows the areas of man's concern, poetry reminds him of the richness and diversity of his experience. When power corrupts, poetry cleanses. For art establishes the basic human truths which must serve as the touchstones of our judgement. The artist. . . faithful to his personal vision of reality, becomes the last champion of the individual mind and sensibility against an intrusive society and an offensive state."

- John F. Kennedy

"I see little of more importance to the future of our country and civilization than the full recognition of the place of the artist. If artists are to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision where ever it takes him."

- John F. Kennedy

"It is his privilege to help man endure by lifting his heart, by reminding him of the courage and honor and hope and pity and compassion and pity and sacrifice which have been the glory of his past. The poet's voice need not merely be the record of man; it can be one of the props, the pillars to help him endure and prevail." 

- William Faukner speaking of the artist's duty in nobel prize acceptance speech

"Art is not an end in itself, but a means of addressing humanity."

- Modest Mussorgsky

"Art is man's nature; nature is God's art."

- P. J. Bailey

"If you ask me what I came to do in this world, I, an artist, I will answer you: I am here to live out loud."

- Emile Zola