Artful Expressions
The arts ignite and inspire – and pack economic punch, too

Iwas raised “country,” so my early discovery and love of the violin was a bit awkward. It was in the fourth grade in Fairborn, Ohio, and somehow my elementary school acquired a violin teacher. I signed up and fell in love with the instrument.

I excelled at my lessons and was the No. 1 violinist in the school. (I’m sure that didn’t mean as much as I thought it did then.) Then, suddenly, my violin teacher moved away. But she urged me to take private lessons before she left.

I can remember begging my parents to drive me the 12 miles to Dayton for the nearest teacher. No doubt spying their escape hatch, they replied: “No way. It’s far too expensive and too much trouble. Take piano lessons instead.”

So I was relegated to the piano. But I never seemed to click with it and finally gave it up.

I often think what my life would have been like if I had been able to continue my studies of the violin. I also wonder what my life would have been like if I had never been exposed to it. And I think I would have been the lesser for not having had it around at all.

I suspect that even for the brief time I had with that violin, it was like a wonderful love affair. Your heart may be broken in the end, but you learn something important that can never be taken away. Even today, I close my eyes listening to the greats of the instrument and imagine that I can play just the way they do.

And so it is with art. It can and does change lives, both for those who merely enjoy the arts like me, and for those who are particularly talented and gifted enough to perform or create.

In every community there are fundraising efforts for the arts, but this is never merely a campaign about money. It is more about the need for the arts to be easily accessible. It is about communities encouraging the recognition that art is important for everyone to enjoy. It is speaking to our souls and giving expression to our lives – and for those who have a special talent, about giving the rest of us their vision. In short, it is about giving everyone the encouragement to live creatively.

For these reasons alone, that should be enough for people to recognize the importance of the arts and the need to contribute to their funding. But in this age of stretched resources and strung-out lifestyles, the need to push the arts to the fore cries out with even greater urgency.

We are bombarded enough with the grim images and senseless violence that dominates the headlines and fills our TV screens. Into this topsy-turvy world we need to take time to appreciate that which uplifts us and fills us with imagination and joy. And if that is not practical enough for you, consider too that in competition for talent and a strong economy that has taken on global proportions, communities that have a strong program of the arts and other quality of life amenities are more likely to attract that talent and thrive.

In addition to personal satisfaction, the arts help us get in touch with our own capacity for imaginative thinking. It leads to a broader view of the world and the likelihood that we can relate better with the plights, and points of view, of others. But there are more tangible results as well, including improved test scores for children. But perhaps the greatest result is the positive economic impact the arts deliver. Not only does it create thousands upon thousands of jobs and generate millions of dollars in revenue, it also promotes economic development by attracting corporations and businesses to locate in your area.

Consider one study in Connecticut in 1996, which found that the arts produced 30,546 jobs, $516 million in income, and an attendance of 24.5 million people to its events (about eight times the population of the state). Moreover, 6.2 million of the admissions were to out-of-state tourists.

We love to quantify things, to give them validity, but the arts are intrinsically valuable for the inspiration, imagination and satisfaction they bring to our lives.

Picasso once said: “Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”

Bravo, I say. Nothing more need be said.

Sylvia L. Lovely is executive director and CEO of the Kentucky League of Cities.
editorial@lanereport.com

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