Great Commencment Speech by Laurie Anderson at SVA

I just saw this posted on Boing Boing's site and and to repost it. It is a wonderful speech and Laurie Anderson is an amazing speaker. In a way, she says a lot of the things that are said in the Neil Gaiman speech that went viral a couple weeks ago. (I posted it on the Cincinnati Illustrators Blog)

One thing they do not mention in either speech however (and perhaps that would not be the appropriate venue for such commentary) is the crippling amount of student loans that art students have these days (and students in general). It is almost impossible to start a decent art career $40,000 to $100,000 in student loan debt.

Usually as one gets older and further along in their art career, the younger generation is nipping at their heels (as it should be). Now these kids are completely hobbled by this incapacitating debt and it is a shame...

I feel really lucky to have gone to school when I did and it was still affordable. It seems like a number of forces have made that no longer the case and that needs to change.

I am not sure of the solution, but my heart goes out to those just starting out.