What's Wrong With The World Today? - Dwindling Funds For The Arts

     This week the New York Times reported that Kansas, which has one of the country's smallest state arts budgets, decided to shrink it further - to zero. While that is an extreme end of the spectrum, many other states are also slashing their arts budgets. Wisconsin is cutting its aid by 67 percent, Texas by 50 percent, and New Jersey by 23 percent.
     The funds which are being cut generally go towards smaller theaters and cultural attractions, which depend on grant money or individual donations to help them survive, such as the Paper Mill Playhouse and the NJ Ballet Company.

     These types of organizations often look to the state for grants, but when the state doesn't have the money to give, what can they do? Are they just suppose to close their doors to the public and be done with their work? I don't think that is right in any way, shape, or form.
     I think this country has a partial obligation to its citizens to provide for its cultural upbringing - as do the citizens of this country to its neighbors. We should be avid supporters of the arts. We should be going out and supporting the cultural attractions in our states. We should also be fighting for arts education in our schools. I think everyone has heard the statistics about how children who play musical instruments do better in math and science, so I shouldn't even have to bring that up. But I don't even think that's the important thing about arts education in schools ...
     Having music, and drama, and writing, and reading, and all those things give kids something to look forward to everyday. It gives them something to be happy about. I played violin for 6 years, and I was always lousy at math. And I was never really that great at violin. But I had a whole lot of fun (while breaking a whole lot of ear drums in the process). And during that time, I learned a thing or two about myself --- like that I was not cut out to be a concert violinist BUT that I was cut out to be a writer ( ... I learned that in Writer's Workshop which I participated in simultaneously with my violin lessons ... Both of which were paid for by arts education funds).

     There are plenty of things you can do to support the cultural activities in your area, the arts in general, and arts education specifically, and it doesn't necessarily have to be monetary. Go see a show at your local theatre. See a play (or concert or comedy show or what-have-you) in the park --- they are super popular over the summer! Visit museums and gardens. See a dance performance. Go see the world's  largest rubberband ball, if that's your thing. Just go out and DO SOMETHING. These places and performers need your support.

     If you want to open your pockets and make a monetary donation to help the arts, here are some sites to check out (or to just peruse for informations sake).

Americans for the Arts

Exploring The Arts (Tony Bennett and Susan Benedetto)

National Assembly of State Arts Agencies

National Endowment for the Arts (click Donate)

Find Your Light Foundation (Josh Groban)

VH1 Save The Music Foundation
Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation (Russell Simmons, Rev. Run of RUN-DMC, and Danny Simmons)

But I have talent, a wonderful thing ... So I say, thank you for the music, the songs I'm singing. Thanks for all the joy they're bringing. Who can live without it? I ask in all honesty. What would life be? Without a song or a dance, what are we? So I say, thank you for the music - for giving it to me. (Thank You For The Music, ABBA)