Hints of propaganda in Owatonna?

     What was the Owatonna Project?  It seems like some pretty notable people, namely Edwin Ziegfield, Andrew Carnegie, and Melvin Haggerty, were interested in the concept of art in everyday life, so they organized a five-year study of a small town in Minnesota, which involved a total community involvement in the arts.  This study involved curricula in schools, exhibitions for the public, and consultations concerning artistic decisions with businesses and government officials. 

      One intriguing result of this study, according to Kerry Freedman (1989), was how the foundational philanthropy that made this and other landmark programs possible, utilized this and other projects to influence society to reject the concept of socialism in favor of industrial capitalism.  I believe this type of subtle propaganda is embedded throughout the workings of this world and infect most of the people that reside within it.  Although the good of these programs might outweigh the bad, it is sad that we cannot have programs that exist without any ulterior motives.  However, living in a world made up of human beings, this lofty goal is probably unachievable, for we all have beliefs that guide our every move, and thus we all exert an influence with everything we do.

We just need to make sure that our beliefs are firm and secure, in order to protect from the influences in the world that might divert us from where we want to go. 

Freedman, K. ( 1989). The philanthropic vision: The Owatonna art education project as an example of "private" interests in public schooling. Studies in Art Education, 31(1), 15-26.