I believe as a society we need to reconsider the value of the arts for our community and for our humanity. The arts have been with us since the beginning of time. We express our culture and history through the arts. It educates us and is a part of what makes us human.
The arts also have a positive impact on our economy, even in bleak times. People want to escape and get an emotional charge in these tough times, and the arts supplies this need. When people attend an arts event, they also tend to go out to eat or get a social drink before or after the show. This $28 average per person (more or less depending on your area) that goes back into our local economies can add up. However, since the loss of arts coverage, people do not know about where to go and what to attend. Many local arts organizations have been in existence for 30-50 years and people still don’t know they exist.
With each day passing, many arts organizations are struggling to stay alive, some have gone under, and coverage is becoming bare bones. Some may view the arts as a luxury, but I say that the arts are a necessity in our lives due to all the benefits.
If you support the arts and know the value of the arts for your life, your children, for our culture and our humanity, please consider writing to your local newspaper and television station to ask for more coverage for the arts. Not only will it help the arts and our economy, but it will help the news become more balanced.
I live for the day that there are daily reviews of arts events, and I live for the day there is an artscast in every television news program. Sports have been the main focus. It’s time the arts become a main focus too! — Shoshana Fanizza
