December 17, 2023—As a lifelong Champion for the Arts, I am optimistic about the profound, transformational power of the arts. Given the current fractured state of our nation and the world, I think this is an important time to remember that art and culture must have a pivotal role in bridging the divides that are ripping at the fabric of our common humanity.
A little over five years ago, Alberto Ibargüen, the former president and chief executive officer of the Knight Foundation, gave an important speech about the importance of philanthropic, community, and government organizations working together to ensure that arts and culture are available. He said:
“Investing in art and culture is central (to the Knight Foundation’s) mission. I can tell you why in just 9 words: Art binds people to place and to each other.
“Art and culture build community….Art binds. Culture generates social capital and strengthens a community’s character. Art brings people together physically—at galleries, museums, performance spaces—and culturally, through its capacity to tell a community’s shared story; to inspire reflection, and to form connections that transcend differences.”
I believe that someone in the federal government must have heard about that message in 2020. According to a study recently released by SMU DataArts, arts organizations nationwide received “unprecedented levels of federal relief funding to the arts and culture sector” during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those federal relief programs helped keep “many organizations afloat during the pandemic and saved jobs in the arts.” [Many arts organizations serving communities of color were not as fortunate.]
Flash forward to 2023: Attendance has not returned to pre-pandemic levels. Inflation has caused an increase in admission fees and ticket prices. There are new challenges and, for some arts organizations, new crises in the wings as they reconcile how they will be able to continue to remain central to community-building, providing safe and welcoming spaces as a refuge from the current onslaught of social and political storms. If the government is not going to “rescue” the arts, what can we do?
Think about your own experience with the arts—how has your life changed? How has your community benefited from having access to the arts? Please ask yourself:
What can I do to share the gift and power of the arts?
How can I become an advocate for my local (and smaller) arts organizations so that they can maintain their vital role in the community?
How many people can I organize to attend a theater or dance performance?
What youth can I introduce to the power of the arts by sponsoring a ticket to a performance that I believe will have a positive impact on their lives?
What steps can I take to support arts education programs in my community?
Is there an artist whose works I can purchase or promote through my social media networks?
More than ever, as artists, creatives, arts administrators, curators, arts marketers, teaching artists, arts organizations, and cultural institutions we must continue to reimagine the world and do the hard and sometimes painful work of bringing our visions to life. That is indeed the greatest gift we can give the world. That is the gift of the arts.
As always, I would like to know what you think. I invite you to share your comments below.