It was almost 200 years ago, after a day and night of relentless attack by the British in Baltimore, that the flag of the United States of America stood against the morning sky and inspired Francis Scott Key to write the words to the "The Star-Spangled Banner." I recently saw two widely varied interpretations of our national anthem. One was a beautifully arranged choral production by The Baltimore Choral Arts Chamber Chorus which included the not-often heard second stanza. The second was a uniquely choreographed dance production by Footworks Percussive Dance Ensemble that -- through the dance steps of Americans from many ethnic backgrounds and many time periods -- illustrated the origins and history of our nation. I viewed all of this while having the privilege of gathering with 1,000 arts leaders from across the United States at the Americans for the Arts 50th Anniversary Half-Century Summit held in Baltimore.
We heard stories of spectacular public art projects in San Jose, CA; successful business and arts collaborations in Philadelphia; key arts efforts in the struggle for greener communities in places like Seattle; and ideas for how the arts have helped inform and inspire our military leaders ever since that night in 1814 when a poem, a song, and a piece of visual art -- a flag -- melded into one statement as our national anthem.
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