Editor’s Note: The following is a short poem by Tony Award-winning poet Lemon Andersen, shared at the 4A’s Foundation MAIP’s Golden Gala on Oct. 23, 2023. Here, Andersen pens a poem to young people about the power of art in advertising, especially in ad agencies. The poem has been briefly edited for clarity.
Only The Poets by which I mean
all artists,
Are finally the only people
who know the truth about us
Only the artists can speak
to this complex world through design when it feels so perilous
Only art can conduct advertorials
Into the very depths of ourselves
execute ‘em as a holiday displays
and watch freedom fly off the shelves
Only art can paint pictures,
stretch the canvas
shape vertical trends
evoke horizontal change
interchange our digital palettes
to show true diversity has range
You can be Latin American,
American Latin, Asiatic African Black
you can be an Eastern Asian
who represents pride above all things
and only artists will have your back
Art can promote bold
significant messages above the fold,
entertain billions of impressions
so authentic stories get told
Real voices speak to the buying
strength of our community,
where there resides an artist
whose voice should be the first to speak
this dignifies equal opportunity
Art whispers loudly
into the kaleidoscope
of the human conditions
Art can take the spirit
of a...
