I’ve been doing a lot of art-related things lately. As well as my own work, I’ve been co-ordinating an exhibition at the local arts centre, helping set up a small gallery, and starting work on strategic planning for the centre.
It got me thinking about the place of art in our society.
It’s something usually regarded as a luxury. We can’t spend money on the arts until we’ve done whatever else needs to be done. It isn’t seen as a valid career path – better to go into law or accountancy or teaching. Arts should be kept as a hobby. They’re something to be done when all the important stuff has been dealt with.
But what would our world look like without art? And what is art anyway? Is it just landscape paintings? Or do you include design, in which case we wouldn’t get far without it. A designer used their skills and expertise to design the page you’re looking at. And the laptop it was written with. And the seat the writer is sitting on right now.
Organising arts events, as I’ve found, involves a pile of skills including administration, project management, “dealing with difficult people”, marketing and baking. They’re all solid real-world skills. I could have spent a small fortune going on courses to learn these skills. Instead, I threw myself in the deep end, learned by doing, and helped bring enjoyment to visitors and some income for exhibitors. The strategic planning process for the centre will teach me plenty about, well, strategic planning, which is something every business needs.
So by getting involved in the arts scene in my community I’m learning valuable practical skills and contributing to the cultural life of the town.
A vibrant community isn’t just about economics. It’s just as much about the culture of a place. Supporting the arts, and creativity in general, is just as essential as supporting business. Art brings life to business, and business brings life to art. Neither one will flourish without the other.
So I’m proud to be able to spend time creating art and supporting others to create art. I’m developing my own skills, helping others develop their skills, helping create a more vibrant community, and hopefully contributing to economic growth in my region.
