In my interview with Rocco Landesman, I learned how much a person’s environment and early exposure to the arts can shape their career path. I was especially inspired by his explanation of how arts education improves students’ success in school and life, and how passion and collaboration are essential for building a meaningful career in the arts.
When did you know that you wanted to pursue a career in art? And why?
Well, I grew up in an artistic family. My dad was a painter, not professionally, although he did some incredible paintings that were later sold professionally. My dad’s brothers had a cabaret theater in St. Louis where I grew up. It was a very bohemian place called Gaslight Square, a kind of enclave where they did very adventurous theater.
They had the first production of *Waiting for Godot* in the United States, the great play by Beckett. They had cabaret performers there. Barbra Streisand started her career there. The Smothers Brothers and Lenny Bruce played there as well. It was really a cabaret theater where people went to see performances.
So I grew up in that kind of environment. The actors and performers who worked in the theater often stayed at our house in our cellar. Mike Nichols and Elaine May, who later became very famous comedians, lived in our house for a time. From a very early age I was exposed to artists and people who created art and theater.
It was really part of my environment as I was growing up. A career in the arts seemed like the most natural thing.
In high school and in college I did a lot of acting. I didn’t see myself having the talent to be a professional actor, but I was still very interested in theater. I ended up at the Yale School of Drama where I was admitted by Bob Brustein. I was his student, then his colleague, and later a close friend over the years.
At the Yale School of Drama I went into a program that taught dramatic literature and criticism, which is part of the academic side of theater. I received a lot of education in that program under Bob.
What did you learn about the importance of arts education when you worked in the arts?
One of my other roles was in the first Obama administration when I served as the chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, often called the NEA.
During that time there was a lot of research done. One of the things researchers discovered was that schools, both grade schools and high schools, with arts programs saw their students outperform students in other schools across many measures.
People first assumed that richer schools with more resources simply had better outcomes overall. But what researchers found was that even in lower-income communities, the schools that had arts programs saw their students outperform others in important areas.
These measures included truancy, juvenile delinquency, staying in school, college attendance, and later income levels. The presence of an arts program had a very strong positive impact on the lives of students.
Arts programs turned out to have a tremendous effect on students’ futures and their integration into society, far beyond what people might expect. You could make the argument that if schools want students to have better outcomes and better careers, they should all have arts programs. In fact, you could even argue that arts programs are more important than athletic programs.
Athletic programs are not necessarily a marker for future success, but arts programs often are.
What do you think has been the biggest benefit to you of pursuing a career in the arts?
First of all, it allowed me to pursue my passion and what I truly love.
In the performing arts, especially theater, it is a collaborative enterprise. When you put on a show it may take twenty or thirty people working together. Because of that, you learn how to collaborate and work as part of a team.
In the visual arts, my father used art as a major mode of expression. Sometimes he could express who he was more clearly through his art than through conversation. Art gives people a form of expression that words cannot always capture.
Another benefit is that if you work in the arts, you are surrounded by other people who share your interests and passions. You form strong bonds with those people, and that can be a very satisfying experience.
Personally, I’m much happier having had a career in the arts than I would have been otherwise. I was never primarily interested in making money. People who go into the arts usually know that it may not be the most financially rewarding path. They do it because they love it and feel passionate about it.
What roles do you think schools should play in fostering art education and appreciation?
I think every school should have strong arts programs which includes both performing arts and visual arts programs.
It shouldn’t be something that only happens once a week. Arts education should be part of the daily life of the school and part of the regular curriculum. Students who want to pursue the arts should have real opportunities to do so.
This should happen in all schools, not just the best-funded or wealthiest schools.
Arts education should include the entire spectrum of the arts. That means dance, music, theater, painting, sculpture, and other visual arts. If students are truly going to benefit, the arts need to be integrated into the curriculum, not just offered as an occasional activity.
How concerned are you about the impact of cuts in funding to the arts, particularly in schools?
I think it is very dangerous and very worrisome.
One concern I have about arts funding today is that some foundations tend to fund arts programs that focus specifically on social justice issues. While those topics are important, I don’t think that is always the main purpose of art.
There are often better ways to address issues such as racism, poverty, or gender inequality than through the arts alone. The arts can certainly engage with those topics, but they also should have a much broader role.
I believe artists should be given complete freedom to create whatever art they want to create. Art should not always be tied to political or social messaging.
One of the biggest dangers today is the politicization of the arts community. I think that trend is something we should be cautious about.
What is your advice for people like me who want to study art in college and potentially build a career in the arts?
First, choose a college where the arts are an important part of the curriculum and campus life. Some schools emphasize athletics or business more heavily, while others are much more dedicated to the arts.
You should also be prepared for the reality that careers in the arts may not bring very high financial rewards. Most people pursue the arts because they feel passionate about them.
Another important thing is to build relationships and connections with your teachers and fellow students. These relationships often become lifelong connections that inspire and motivate you.
Finding mentors who guide, encourage and inspire you can be extremely important. These figures can make a huge difference in your life and career.
Passion is really the key ingredient. That passion is what makes everything work.
