We have had a cloud of doom and gloom over our lives with threats and worries of a troubled economic state. Everywhere you turn there are talks of cutbacks and foreclosures and minimal resources. It’s real and it’s serious.
Often in situations where there is a question of resources we often look at what we can cut back on that will help to alleviate our financial burden. Unfortunately, that is often the arts. Those of us in the industry argue its need in maintaining a society of expression and diverse culture; others may argue that it is an extra benefit, something that we can live without. My opinion was recently confirmed in a new way.
A couple of weeks ago, The Friends participated in the Plaza Art Fair. This is always a very exciting event for our organizations because we get to interact with long committed patrons while at the same time informing others who are interested in learning about who we are and what we do. I chose to really take in as much as I could this year being relatively new to The Friends. When it was all over I was at the art fair all 28 hours! I interacted with countless attendees about The Friends and our upcoming season. We even had a game in which contestants could win a prize by playing “Name that Composer.” I ended up learning a lot about the impact of the arts that weekend. I have a degree in theatre and I have always been an advocate for the arts but I saw something a little different with this experience. Whenever someone would engage in a conversation with me about the season I would see excitement build within them and an energy just take off. The mere thought of what they might experience through catharsis at one of our concerts really exhibited the power of art. I would like to say that they were excited due to my eloquent words and engaging delivery but I will have to take a hit to the ego because it was more than that. It was the art. It was the legacy of the wide range of music we present, some of it going back 1200 years.
That weekend left me even more energized about the art we present. It drove my passion for the arts to be even stronger as I saw how art is always present no matter what the crisis, and furthermore that classical music isn’t for the elite but for everyone. Its effect can be the redemption we need in a time of crisis.
Often in situations where there is a question of resources we often look at what we can cut back on that will help to alleviate our financial burden. Unfortunately, that is often the arts. Those of us in the industry argue its need in maintaining a society of expression and diverse culture; others may argue that it is an extra benefit, something that we can live without. My opinion was recently confirmed in a new way.
A couple of weeks ago, The Friends participated in the Plaza Art Fair. This is always a very exciting event for our organizations because we get to interact with long committed patrons while at the same time informing others who are interested in learning about who we are and what we do. I chose to really take in as much as I could this year being relatively new to The Friends. When it was all over I was at the art fair all 28 hours! I interacted with countless attendees about The Friends and our upcoming season. We even had a game in which contestants could win a prize by playing “Name that Composer.” I ended up learning a lot about the impact of the arts that weekend. I have a degree in theatre and I have always been an advocate for the arts but I saw something a little different with this experience. Whenever someone would engage in a conversation with me about the season I would see excitement build within them and an energy just take off. The mere thought of what they might experience through catharsis at one of our concerts really exhibited the power of art. I would like to say that they were excited due to my eloquent words and engaging delivery but I will have to take a hit to the ego because it was more than that. It was the art. It was the legacy of the wide range of music we present, some of it going back 1200 years.
That weekend left me even more energized about the art we present. It drove my passion for the arts to be even stronger as I saw how art is always present no matter what the crisis, and furthermore that classical music isn’t for the elite but for everyone. Its effect can be the redemption we need in a time of crisis.
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