Art in a Changing World – Alicia Maddox
As President of Avery Dennison’s corporate foundation, Alicia Procello Maddox spends much of her time looking at the world and how to change it for the better. While much of that has to do with finding renewable sources of energy, and more sustainable farming practices, developing an ability to advance the arts is just as important, especially in a ever-changing world such as ours. Alicia Maddox is a leader, at her company, in her field, and in her life; but in a different way, artists are also leaders. They lead in ways that most corporate executives or war-time generals couldn’t. The best ones, can cause millions of people to explore mysteries of the world and themselves they’ve never thought about before. They manage to use different mediums to make people from different walks of life see, imagine and connect with each other in different ways.
Having been around the world many times, Alicia Procello Maddox, is well aware of the importance of culture, and how culture can be one of the most powerful forces on the planet. From the foods we eat, the clothes we wear, the stories we tell and how we identify ourselves, culture is power. Looking back in history, when countries conquer one another some of the first things taken are the great works of art, terrorist attacks are often plotted on great museums or buildings housing a country’s pieces of arts & culture. Political leaders use arts & culture to gain supporters, build bridges, heal and defeat. Businesses use the arts & culture to gain favor and give their brands identity to gain customers. Even during the congress of Vienna, Beethoven was brought in to compose for leaders of nations around the world.
Alicia Procello believes that the art is the most eloquent of form of human expression, capable of both uniting the world and breaking it apart. It is important that as the years go by, and as the world changes, we use art to bridge the gaps and create a connection to unite people and keep them from the hatred that will destroy us all. Alicia Maddox is a firm believer in the power of change and how change is needed for growth; the arts & culture can lead the world on a positive path to the future.
