From the Editor-In-Chief: Where We Go, Nobody Knows

I suspect I am like many, many, many writers right now – and was throughout the week of November 6, 2024 – and don’t quite know how to write the next words.

It would be disingenuous of me to say I wasn’t interested in politics; those are words that only the most privileged say to dodge any semblance of civil responsibility or, indeed, responsiveness. As a species, we are reliant on one another to live, create, protect, and nurture. Artists are possibly the most exemplary manifestations of this truth. And now, all of these truths are no longer self-evident. We have, by our own hand, ushered in a second era of division, darkness, and unspeakable cruelties we will yet witness – with open eyes. Intellectuals, creators, and cultural giants (historically and categorically) are the first to suffer and be suppressed in the bald face of wilful ignorance and a weaponised government. My own fears have peaked in these past few weeks, knowing too much about the consequences of humanity leaping into the abyss of hatred, spurred on by deluded, disenfranchised anti-citizens. These are people who are active – and armed – in their desire to erase culture, to snuff out dialogue, to instil fear, and to throttle free expression.

I have no answers and I have no wisdom, here. But, we are not alone. I speak to you, readers, only as someone who will remain committed to the mission of this magazine, and our artist friends who we elevate and serve. If there’s one thing I am sure of, there is enough love, enough strength, and enough stamina among us that we can support one another in the protection of our deepest ideals. We will need them now, more than we have ever known. Buying, selling, and muscling our way through the social cobwebs of the “art world” will seem petty and small compared to the real approaching dangers faced by artists of all walks; particularly at risk are BIPOC, LGBTQ+, immigrant, Arab-American, Jewish, and many other diverse, minority communities.

We need all of you to stay. To stay with us, to stay in the game, and to let us help in keeping your beautiful voices heard. When the time comes to test our strength, and trust me when I say it will be tested, I implore you to stay…and to stand. Artists are the colour, the sound, and the eyes of our culture. We are counting on you to colour the darkness, cut through the silence, and to see through each challenge, one day at a time. Where we go, where we all go, nobody knows. On behalf of all of us at FRONTRUNNER, we want you to know that we are here. And we will stay.

“Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius – and a lot of courage – to move in the opposite direction.” – Ernst Friedrich Schumacher