There's no doubt that art can help us cope with troubled times. It's a way to process the inexplicable, express the unutterable.
But with tens of thousands of Haitians still displaced and living in tent cities, some might consider art a luxury few can afford. Diane Ford Dessables, though, founder of Ayitian Arts Project, says that in addition to the obvious emotional benefits, there are real economic reasons for supporting Haiti's arts.
"What we're doing here is focusing on art and using art as a means of spurring community development," she tells NPR's Michel Martin.
