About two days ago I finished reading 20UNDER40, the collection of 20 essays on the topic of creating change in the arts sector written by people under 40 years of age.… It’s an important contribution to the conversation about where the arts are going, and I don’t think anyone should question that.… I’m truly pleased to see that people under 40 are getting their say in this book. I was never in the least concerned that people over 40 were not invited; that’s a good thing. If I could financially swing retirement tomorrow, I would gladly step aside for these people (ah, there’s the rub). They would then have the time they need to effect their changes. And I do recognize that the editor and the writers recognize that their collection has its limitations – it’s a start at the very least. Dissemination of these ideas across demographic boundaries will be key. I only hope they will have the time it takes in this fast-paced society we have created to achieve their goals.

Is the imaginative child an endangered species? In a provocative new book, Bridget Matros, cocreator of the Art Studio at the Boston Children’s Museum, asks that question and suggests ways to address the creativity deficit she sees in children and adults. Her essay appears in the anthology “20Under40: Re-Inventing the Arts and Arts Education for the 21st Century” (AuthorHouse).… In “Handprint Turkeys and the Cotton Ball Snowman: Is There Hope for an Artful America?”, Matros writes about young children who, when asked to suggest an alternative use for an egg carton, “struggle to imagine. This, to me, is astounding, and gravely problematic.” She points a finger at adults who teach children that art should conform to a narrow set of rules.