Mr. Rogers Roman Statue

This piece was published yesterday on the Man vs. Art website. There is a section called the Pantheon of Awesomeness where artists are encouraged to draw an artist and write why this artist should be recognized as being "awesome". The word "artist" means to include visual artists, writers, poets, actors, musicians, comedians, directors, just about anybody who has made their living by use of creativity and artistry. Furthermore, these artists need to be mavericks that are leaders in their chosen field and think beyond any conceptual box because there is no box to contain them!
So I decided to draw a portrait of Mr. Rogers and do a little writing to share why I think he is worthy of recognition. You can follow the link to Man vs. Art to read the article or you can simply read it here (WARNING: Though I feel that Man vs. Art is a legitimate artistic resource, it sometimes features humor and content that may be perceived as mature. If you are sensitive to language or mature images then I suggest you simply read the article in this blog and forgo using the provided link).

From Man vs. Art article October 14, 2010
We have a new entry into the Man vs. Art Pantheon of Awesomeness courtesy of Minion David Vallejo!
That’s right! David has nominated the one and only MR. ROGERS!
And here’s why!
Hello Raul, To start off, I just wanted to let you know that I really enjoy Man vs. Art, especially the podcasts. Such a wealth of information! One of the things I really like is your overall message to artists to just “man up” and get things done that need to be done. I don’t think that philosophy is emphasised enough in the universities and art schools.
Here is my nomination for the Pantheon of Awesomeness.
At first glance my nomination for the Pantheon of Awesomeness may seem like an unlikely candidate. Soft-spoken and straight-laced, his contributions to education, children’s television programming, and creativity are often overlooked.
Here are some things that I admire about my candidate:
He confronted the U.S. Senate advocating the use of government funding for children’s education television rather than the Vietnam War. He was successful in earning $20 million for public television.
Having earned a degree in music, he wrote all the music for his television programs.
He paved the way for future children’s programs by exposing kids to the world around them to increase their awareness and understanding. Furthermore, his approach was very open, honest, and non-judgmental. He would discuss anything from Picasso to steam engines. Creativity, intrigue, and wonder (attributes that are very important to any artist) were common ways that he would share information to kids.
If today’s teachers (and definitely art teachers) were anything like my nominee, there would probably be more appreciation and passion for creativity, critical thinking, and the uniqueness of the individual.
I therefore nominate Fred McFeely Rogers, or simply, Mr. Rogers, for the Pantheon of Awesomeness. Thanks for your consideration.
David