    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1994, Book II)]
    [October 14, 1994]
    [Page 1767]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 1767]]

    Message on the Observance of National Arts and Humanities Month
    October 14, 1994

        The arts have long been an integral part of America's cultural
    heritage, encouraging us to gain a deeper understanding of ourselves and
    of our society. In a world too often beset by hatred and incivility, the
    arts and humanities empower us to celebrate our individual identities,
    while reminding us of the values and commitments that unite us as a
    country.
        Although the rich diversity of our nation would seem to preclude an
    official American culture, we have a powerful tradition of artistic
    expression and intellectual inquiry that honors every one of us equally.
    Through art, music, literature, history, and philosophy, we preserve and
    pass along, from generation to generation, our most cherished images,
    ideas, and beliefs.
        For more than two centuries, the arts and humanities have helped
    Americans transcend political, religious, racial, and ethnic divisions
    by engaging us in the common task of interpreting and expressing the
    meaning of human experience. When we read each other's stores, discuss
    each other's ideas, and feel each other's emotions through dance,
    painting, and song, we come to understand the complexity and texture of
    each other's lives. In so doing, we gain a greater appreciation and
    understanding of the breadth of human thought and emotion. And we gain a
    more profound sense of our common purpose as Americans.
        But if the arts and humanities are essential to appreciating and
    preserving our culture, they are also essential to our growth and
    renewal as a people. For it is only by deepening our understanding,
    unleashing our imaginations, and enlarging our capacities to see and to
    feel that we can envision a better future for ourselves, our
    communities, and our nation.
        In the new and complicated century that awaits us, we will depend
    even more on our artists and humanists to help us discover the roots of
    our deepest beliefs and gain a vision of our most promising
    possibilities.
        The month of October has been designated National Arts and
    Humanities Month, and I urge all Americans to celebrate the artistic and
    intellectual freedoms we enjoy and to reflect on the crucial role they
    play in reinvigorating and renewing our great nation every day.

                                                                Bill Clinton

    Note: This message was made available by the Office of the Press
    Secretary on October 14 but was not issued as a White House press
    release.