At the first mention of the word “art,” my mind often wanders to the famed dame that hangs in the Louvre or to the exemplary words that come alive when Wordsworth uses them. It would almost never occur to me to consider a speech delivered by a high school math teacher in a blue shirt and loafers—Mr. VanderSchee, no one famous—as a work of art. But upon deeper reflection, the way it presented a view of the world, the way it described joy, and the way it defined purpose all fel

See, there is nothing particularly interesting about an intersection. With its busy lanes, wide roads, and noisy sounds, the intersection...