A longtime, artist member sent me a message several weeks ago:
"Keep politics out of the arts!"
My first reaction was politics is not a dirty word. It is about governance, and as a citizen, it is a privilege to participate in the political process. Civic discourse is a core value of representative democracy. The constitution grants citizens the right to vote, the right to protest, and the right to lobby their elected officials to enact policies that serve their interests. For example, if you believe in public funding for the arts, or not, you may use the framework of government to influence policy.
As an arts advocate, it is difficult to witness the decimation of the nonprofit arts industry in the wake of such loss and isolation that the pandemic has created. More than 200,000 Americans have died, with thousands of family members grieving. Millions of people have lost their jobs. Hundreds of arts venues are dark. With so much death and destruction, the arts can provide hope and help the nation heal. After months of distancing from each other, however, it will take time to bring people together.
In the meantime, keep connected to your patrons, your audiences, and your elected officials. Let them know how you are coping.
Randall Forte, Executive Director
