Our Mission Statement
We live in an age of extraordinary creativity and extraordinary division. While art has always challenged ideas, today’s artistic community has become more inclined to shun those who think differently. What was once a space for curiosity, tolerance, and shared humanity has become a vicious battleground for ideological purity. We founded Civility in the Arts (CITA) to help change that.
CITA exists to restore respect, love, and empathy in the creative world, and to protect the space artists need to create freely. We believe the arts should be a place where difference belongs, where disagreement is not met with hostility, and where every artist can pursue truth through their work without fear of being misrepresented or erased.
We are not here to pick sides or to tell artists what to think. We are here to remind our community that kindness, fairness, and civility form the foundation of our humanity. In a country where most people get along far better than the headlines suggest, it is a tragedy that the art community hasn’t kept up. CITA believes that artists should lead, not trail.
When studies show that Americans cannot accurately describe the views of those with whom they purport to disagree, we believe it is imperative for the art community to lead the way in bringing the country together. CITA seeks to bridge that gap by celebrating artists who embody empathy, humanity, civility, and creative courage.
Through grants, media campaigns, and future exhibitions, we will uplift artists who reflect the best of us - those who challenge without cruelty, question without contempt, and build without destroying.