Dr. Rebecca Ard Boone
Ralph and Edna Wooster Professor of History
Chair of History
Chair of University Studies
Lamar University
Did you know that the city of Florence at the height of the Renaissance was no bigger than the size of Beaumont? In the 1400’s that city redefined its values and established art, creativity, and freedom as the foundations of human flourishing. What would it take to make the same thing happen in Southeast Texas? We can start by imagining what we want. For me, that means public spaces and crowds of happy people eating delicious food, listening to music, laughing with friends, enjoying performances, discussing ideas, creating and seeking inspiration from visual art. A city in rebirth pulses with the electricity of chance encounters and new perspectives. It’s where you’ll find a sense of freedom and a recognition of shared purpose and agency. Can it happen here? Why not? Oh sure, people will complain: “But the politics! But the local culture! But the natural disasters! People in Florence in the 1450’s complained about all those things, too!
I prefer to think about the things we can do to build a renaissance right here in our backyard. We know this region is fertile land for talent. We can nurture it. We can show up, go out, meet up, plan festivals, and support the Art Studio. Interested in this vision, but don’t know where to start? Come to the Art Studio. We’ll sit down at the table, have coffee, and work out a new world.
