Siouxland Magazine - Volume 3 Issue 4

Expression
statement
communication
Todd
Ryan
Passionate About Conversation - Artist Dialogue
In this issue, our Conversation participants are Todd
Behrens and Ryan Haskins. Ryan is the Music Director
for the Sioux City Symphony Orchestra, and Todd is the
Director of the Sioux City Art Center. As artists, these two
gentlemen have an interesting perspective on Expression.
SM: People are dealing with a lot of uncertainty
and anxiety in general. How does the ability to
express oneself via fine arts help with this?
Behrens: In the best of times, the fine arts show us new
ways of thinking about the realities of life and provide
sensory reminders of the more significant meanings that lie
just above or below the surface of our daily experiences. In
the worst of times, they provide hope. Since the pandemic,
we have been reminded of how precious and short life is.
The pain, uncertainty, and isolation of the last year have
been so challenging. We effectively have had two options:
ignore the problems and proceed with our usual patterns
of life; or use this moment to explore the countless things
that each of us usually has no time or reason to consider.
At their heart, the fine arts are about exploration and
innovation on the creative side, discovering new ideas, and
considering the viewpoints of others on the appreciative
side. All of these things can provide both the intellectual
and emotional stimulation that not only get us through
these tough times but can genuinely make our lives better.
Haskins: Since the beginning, the arts have provided
civilization with a means of comfort and a vehicle to express
our innermost worries, concerns, and anxieties. One of the
reasons this works is because you have to learn to let go
and be willing to be vulnerable to create art. You have to
be willing to put everything on the line and say - “this is
me” - it’s not easy - especially in a society that is so quick
to pass judgments. This unguarded letting-go is powerful -
and where art can express the inexpressible. When we find
it difficult to express ourselves, but we have a desire for
emotional release - the arts can help us. It’s one of the main
reasons why the arts can have a lasting effect on the overall
health of our body and mind. The arts can help us manage
our quality of life and wellbeing.
An experience in a concert hall, theatre, or gallery can all
provide us with the opportunity to disappear and travel to
a distant time or place. We can be transported away from
our world that is so filled with constant uncertainty and
upheaval.
SM: We find a lot of division and polarization in
current society. In what ways is artistic expression
connected to unity?
Haskins: The arts heal - they provide us with the
opportunity to accept the challenge, then manage it, and
finally heal and recover from it.
Art brings us together - and if we are willing to leave our
“stuff” behind - and allow ourselves to be open - we can
then enjoy some unbelievable experiences - moving us
beyond the unimaginable.
Arts are reflective of what is happening around us, past and
present. This is why a live concert can transport us in just a
few notes to a new land, a new time, or a new experience.
This is what drives us to continue creating a new sculpture,
designing a contemporary dance, or composing a musical
composition - they preserve time so that future generations
can look back and experience where we were at that very
moment. It is pretty magical.