I've Been Thinking

I’ve been thinking a lot about the things we put off doing until we have time. Things that maybe at one time were essential to us but got discarded or we were convinced that they were things responsible adults didn’t do. So often artists are asked, usually with a sense of caring, “When are you going to get a real job?” I’ve been thinking a lot about how many people say that when they retire they will be able to devote time to an art that they loved as a child. Why the disconnect?

Just recently the state of Georgia acknowledged that regular participation in the arts is essential to strong mental health, while at the same time taking very few steps to lift the state from near the bottom of rankings for public support? Again, why the disconnect?

I know from my own experience, after nearly 35 years working as an arts professional, that what we do as artists saves lives. I keep a quote on my desk. It came to me from a single mother of children with disabilities who was a regular participant in the outreach programs I managed years ago. She thanked us for being the “first responders of the soul”. To me it is a compelling image. First responders run toward trouble, motivated by a deep desire to help. Artists are indeed that.

So how do we support this community of first responders? Of course the first answer is usually to become a PATRON. Audiences support Artists. But it is only one aspect of the equation. To get to the point where an Artist can present, they need TIME, for the creative process. They need safe and affordable SPACE in which to work. They need FUNDS to be able to support themselves and the other Artists they may work with. In Georgia today, none of these things are readily available. Even though the Arts are essential to good mental health, even though many folks insist that when they retire, they will finally be able to go back to exploring an art that they once loved. 

So what is the solution? The arts, and the Artists that create within them, need support, both public and private. They need the community as a whole to step forward and find ways to fully fund their work.

What does a fully funded arts ecosystem look like?

It means Artists and the organizations they work with can concentrate on using their skills to be first responders, not fund raisers.

It means Artists drawn to Atlanta for its vibrant arts scene can stay and work here instead of having to leave the state in search of livable wages, affordable housing and places to create and rehearse.

It means that young people do not have to put aside those things that feed their souls in favor of “a real job.”

It means that we don’t have to wait until we have time to make regular arts experiences part of our lives. A fully funded arts ecosystem would mean a plethora of choices available at every price point and at many types of venues. Art in the parks, lunchtime concerts, evening classes and performances. 

"I understand now. October 2022 8:16 am"

Photo by Elizabeth Labbe-Webb

I’ve worked in all sorts of arts organizations. I know Theatre, Gallery Management, Symphony, Opera, Arts Education and Dance and the common feature among them is the nurturing of a joyous, questing spirit that is becoming extra essential in the world today. Children thrive, elders feel less isolated, diverse communities come together for shared experiences. It’s all there, all the time, why wait for another time when finding a way to help build and sustain it can be a NOW.