Arts Benicia
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| Why support the arts? Why give money, lobby government officials or volunteer time? Sure, the Arts increase economic activity, raise test scores for kids, attract tourism and generally make life more humane and society more civil, but there's more to it than that. Specifically the arts build two important areas for a community: culture and creativity. Support for the arts directly benefits our culture and augments our ability to think creatively. And for some of us, the arts have enriched our lives so much that it would be unthinkable to live without them. • Culture The arts are where cultures develop, grow and are preserved. A culture consists largely of the language, music, decorations, architecture, food and storytelling of a people. All of these aspects of culture are directly traceable to the arts. A culture that discourages artistic expression impoverishes itself. Contrast the culture of Afghanistan under the Taliban, or China during the Cultural Revolution with that of the Golden Age of Greece or Paris around the turn of the last century. Providing a space and time to experience and celebrate the arts is providing a way for a culture to grow and to be experienced. For a local community, having a vibrant arts scene translates directly into economic gains including benefiting local businesses, higher real estate values and increased tourism. The economic values are demonstrably there, but the value to the culture itself is more important. • Creative Thinking Creative thinking is important or vital in many other fields. It drives change, allows us to build systems of all sorts, discover technologies, perceive our world more clearly, design better products and better ways of working together as a planet. Creative thinking is clearly very valuable in many fields, but only in the arts do we deal with creative thinking in its purest form, unconcerned with practical applications. The arts (all the arts) function as a gym, or a laboratory, a place in the community that not only tolerates but actively encourages creative thinking. Being moved by art, talking about art, doing art, learning or teaching art all stretch our creative thinking muscles. These activities build creative habits of thinking and ways of approaching problems that are directly applicable in almost any other activity. So ~ I want you, you who give time or money, to know that the work you are doing with Arts Benicia is having a direct impact. You are doing important work and helping people. Art Saves Lives! Larnie Fox |
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