The Artist’s Job Now? Radical Empathy

“Radical empathy, as I define it, is the act of reaching out with an open heart and mind, even if we feel the person or community we are reaching out to is undeserving of such openness. It’s the notion that, if we swallow our own hurt long enough to extend empathy to our opposition no matter what (that’s the radical part), we will establish connections capable of yielding far greater fruit than any amount of soap-boxing or condemnation ever will. Radical empathy is how the artist and arts institutions will foster communication and connection across communities. Radical empathy is the artist’s new job.”