Art is pivotal in activist movements. Not just signs or info graphics, but truly soulful expressions of art . Remember this as you read Hal Murray's essay "Artists: The Research and Development Department of Society." Murray shows us, specifically, how photographs and literary representations of historical moments have made deep impressions on us-even those of us who were not present during that time. Something that strikes me is how unappreciative we are of these people and their work while they are still living. Perhaps it is because there aren't enough people who possess the will to take a hard look at the world going on around them. Artists surely have that will. In whatever medium they choose, artists completely understand the need for these illuminations of reality. In this volume you will find art written about in a conscious way to draw attention to its political or philosophical significance. As Murray says in his essay, comparing artists to an R & D department, one of the main functions of art is "knowledge creation." Let's remain cognizant of this fact as we also observe art's beauty; there is beauty in truth.