Ben Cameron to Speak Tuesday at Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art

Ben Cameron, program director of Arts at the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and nationally renowned arts advocate, will speak at the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art on September 21, at 4 p.m. A reception will follow the talk and the public is invited.

A former theater professional and current arts activist, Cameron will speak to the role of the arts and creativity in education and civic life, with a special focus on how creativity is an essential quality for success in all fields. His talk is a kick off for the Auburn University College of Liberal Arts first celebration of National Arts & Humanities Month throughout the month of October.

“Ben’s talk will help set the tone for our celebration in October,” Dr. Anna Gramberg, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, said. “We understand how important the arts are for our students in becoming critical thinkers and creative spirits, and we are pleased to provide opportunities outside the classroom for personal and professional development.”

More than ever before, the arts and the qualities they foster deserve a central place in education and in civic life.

“Like it or not, change is the ever accelerating constant that guides our lives today, and like the famous line in Alice in Wonderland, we must run as fast as we can to stay in the game – and if we want to get anywhere, we must run twice as fast as that,” notes Cameron. “Nimbleness, flexibility, responsiveness, creative opportunism: all will be valued as never before.”

Cameron heads up the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation’s arts funding program. Established by Duke in her will, it supports her desire to assist “actors, dancers, singers, musicians and other artists of the entertainment world in fulfilling their ambitions and providing opportunities for the public presentation of their arts and talents.” As of 2009, the DDCF has awarded more than $2 million in grants to artists and arts organizations.

Please note that Cameron’s program will be Tuesday, September 21, not Thursday as appeared on a recent mailer. Cameron’s talk is sponsored by the Auburn University College of Liberal Arts Department of Theatre and Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts & Humanities, as well as the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art. For more information about the program and CLA’s Arts and Humanities Month celebration, go to www.clacelebrates.org.