Romero Britto speaks at The Art of Education online conference
Photo courtesy of The Art of Education
Romero Britto sees the future of education being bright, and not just because of the colorful and optimistic themes he applies to his artwork.
On July 14, world-famous pop artist Romero Britto gave a presentation at The Art of Education 2016 Summer Online Conference. The conference is an online event (over 2,000 users registered this year) that showcases the newest and brightest developments in the world of art education.
Britto and The Art of Education were a perfect fit. The mission of the program — which is to give art teachers good classroom strategies — combined with Britto’s passion for bettering the world through his positivity in his art mesh well together.
“Art can really be an agent of change. It can be inspiring and bring people together. I am blessed, because I have this gift where I can create art and bring people together with my art,” said Britto on The Art of Education Radio show prior to his presentation. “I want to create images of hope, happiness and love. I want to be a person to come to this world and add, not take.”
In addition to over 20 other presentations, Britto joined the online conference to discuss positivity and everyday inspiration as something each person needs to improve their well-being. One of the main ideas about his art that Britto likes emphasize is its overwhelming sense of positivity as compared to the darker themes found in the art of many other artists.
“I don’t want to be a reporter for bad news or horrible things,” Britto says.
Britto spoke during the ‘inspiration’ portion of the conference, which is a theme that is a focal point of his art.
Courtesy of The Art of Education
“I have so much that I want to do… The sky’s the limit,” said Britto during the conference. “I have to contain myself because I dream so much.”
This falls right into Britto’s sweet spot – growing up in poverty in Recife, Brazil, he acknowledges the importance art had on his development. Art was the reason that Britto was able to escape the poor conditions of his upbringing. Those experiences inspired Britto’s charitable efforts, and he now works with the Best Buddies foundation to help disabled children reach their full potential through art development.
“I still think that in school, they should emphasize more arts and culture,” said Britto in an interview with T Brand Studio of The New York Times. “It does give a possibility [to] create something unique and new. And this goes for anything and everything — art and business, and so many other areas. [Art] makes you think, we can change, we can make it better. We can improve… My art has been a great outlet for me to keep hopeful, inspired and motivated to have a better day.”
