All is Art and Art is All invites teachers, students and others to use the arts as a primary source for understanding. Homilies by the author, illustrations of the work of living artists, and exercises for practice, demonstrate how art can be attached to life's challenges. All is Art... declares art inclusive, not exclusive; and not only an avenue to self-discovery, but to coping and understanding.
In a time where so many lifestyles have been altered, this book presents lessons to follow; lessons that attach meaning to simple occurrences, transforming the common to the profound. It asks readers to put imagination to use, take chances, and believe in the possibilities. It shows how empowerment comes from doing and experimenting, and that it is never too late or too early to begin.
Carol St. John was born in Brooklyn, which has made all the difference. She was raised mostly by her mother and extended family and learned to trust by example. Her art life began early. Teachers put her work on display, she painted murals on the walls of her high school and was the art editor of the yearbook. The New York art scene set standards of excellence and challenge that she found intimidating. She married and made babies and it wasn't until she grew hungry enough, to seek an outlet beyond the manger, that her art life bloomed.
Need gave her permission to begin. After a few years, she began to show her work and discovered acceptance in the public forum. St. John thereafter described herself professionally as an artist who also teaches.
A graduate of New York State University, Cortland, and Northeastern University, Boston, her studies were expanded through workshops, travel, and life itself. Her greatest influences were the demonstrations of artists such as Ed Whitney, Claude Croney, Betty Lou Schlemm, Domenic DeStephano, and Mario Cooper. And the teachings of writers who include William Styron, William Least Heat-Moon, Lil Brannon, and Cy Knoblach.
Her spiritual life moved as her mind opened. Forays into religions of all sorts, from Buddhist to Unitarian studies, gave her the breadth of universal questions and answers; a conviction in the need for each person to fulfill their potential destiny.
The St. John galleries, east and west, represented more than art. They were vital sources of energy and communion; places where visitors sat down and visited, where ideas were explored.
St. John continues to offer community for writers, artists and spiritually oriented activists. She is never done and always open to the new voices that come her way.
