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Artwork by Stephen Burt encourages Florida drivers to consider what they can do for others
The piece, "Creative Altruism," is inspired by a famous quote from Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
Above, left: Burt, professor of art at UNE; at right: “Creative Altruism,” installed along Rt. 92 in DeLand, Florida.
A piece of artwork by Stephen Burt, B.F.A., M.F.A., professor of art in the University of New England School of Arts and Humanities, was recently installed on a highway billboard in DeLand, Florida.
Titled “Creative Altruism,” the work was inspired by a quotation by Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.: “Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness. This is the judgment. Life's most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”
The display is Burt’s first to be installed at billboard scale, visible as drivers travel eastbound on Rt. 92 toward Daytona Beach. Though he lives in Scarborough, Maine, the installation has particular significance for Burt, who hails from DeLand.
The artist said he often travels to the DeLand area to visit family and “revel in the natural beauty of the area.”
“I hope when people look at this image, they will find it both visually beautiful and read its compelling message: to practice selfless generosity,” Burt remarked. “I think the word creative here is key. Creative altruism does not have to be a great act of generosity; it can be as simple as kindness shown to strangers, writing a letter to a dear friend, (or) giving an unexpected gift. I believe we are in dire need of compassion and love at this point in time, and we need to recognize both the brevity of life and the importance of living our lives in service to this beautiful planet and its myriad inhabitants.”
Burt, who is UNE’s 2024-2025 Ludcke Chair of Arts and Sciences, is also fresh off a four-week residency at the Burren College of Art in Ballyvaughn, Ireland, where he created many works around the theme of climate change and the necessity of action. The largest of these works depicts a dragon of the apocalypse and is titled “The Time is Now.”
“The Time is Now” by Stephen Burt.
“Largely improvisatory, I depend on the accidental to jump-start my imagination,” Burt said of the piece. “Once I make what I find (to be) interesting connections, I buckle down to render them with precision.”
Burt is set to present the annual Ludcke Lecture, “Witness: An Artist in the Anthropocene,” to students and colleagues on Wednesday, Feb. 5, at 5 p.m. in the Bush Board Room on UNE’s Biddeford Campus. A reception will follow.
5:00 pm
Biddeford Campus
Stephen Burt, M.F.A.
More of Burt’s work can be found at www.stephentburt.com.