SIGNS OF SPRING in Bismarck are the robin and UTTC students doing sidewalk art. Student Stacey Speedis (Yakima Nation) grins over her creation. Photo by Dennis Neumann Imagine our world without art! There would be no paintings, no dance, no sculptures, no drama. How would we preserve and share our cultures without art? How would we express our innermost thoughts? How would tribal colleges and universities “feel” to us without art? How would we be able to tell our stories? Communication among cultures can be difficult at best. When we encounter people from cultures different than our own, we see them as strangers — they look, act, and speak according to their own cultural norms, values, and beliefs. Whether it takes the traditional, contemporary, or performing arts form, art helps us communicate across cultures.