This is my very first post and a new experiment for me. Today while in a technology workshop for nonprofits I decided today is the day. I'm going to blog!
I think about the arts all the time...it's my job. On some level everyone understands that the arts enrich our lives. But what I pondered was how many understand just how vast the return on an investment in the arts can be.
That statement alone is so multi-faceted that I almost hesitate to throw it out there. I have a good friend who has invested countless hours of time in muscial development. That investment translates into the ability to create for the listener an enjoyable emotive experience that transcends time and space. I have an aquaintance who has invested funds and expertise in raising funds to establish a historic building as a wonderful art gallery. That investment impacts the community and every individual who sets foot in the building for years to come. My colleague is an art teacher, she invests in students. Her investment does much more that create some nice pieces for students to put on their parents refrigerator. Her investment builds critical thinking skills and those students who are involved in the arts are proven to score higher on standardized tests than their peers, they are 4 times ...okay I'll not bore you with a ton of statistics.
What is clear to me is that an investment in the arts - no matter how it is made, (time, talent, education, expertise, funds etc) always brings a powerful return...so the arts do enrich our lives, they enhance education, they also build understanding (that's for another day) and they boost our economy. (Think about tourism and why you travel...) Check out a couple of sites that I work with http://www.minotarts.org/ and http://www.integrityjazzfestival.com/
From my own experience, invest in the arts in what ever way stirs your passion and you will truly find a "big return on your investment".
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When I was young, I had a special aunt that invested in me. She took me to see Broadway shows, the ballet, to museums and galleries of all sizes, and to concerts - indoor and outdoor. She instilled upon me a love of the arts. The arts are a HUGE part of who I am today (the art teacher colleague Terri mentions in her blog!). As a high school student, I was in the top 5% of my class. In college, my grades were even better. When I went back to college for a 2nd degree - I HAD to sit in the front row of class to absorb all that I could! In life, I have been able to adapt to multiple moves (even overseas) and job changes as my husband is active duty Air Force. The arts spill over into my childrens' lives and they are all (I can proudly say) of good character, outgoing, creative in their own rights, and up to any challenge presented to them. That's what the arts do to you. The arts give you the tools to think outside the box, go after your dreams, to say "Hey, I can do that...I can do more. I can BE more." And if being all that you can be isn't a viable return on your investment, I don't know what is.
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