by Drew Buchholz
Around the country, arts and cultural institutions are confronting unprecedented challenges and arts education programs are struggling to keep a foothold in public schools. State and local governments, facing significant budget deficits, have moved to cut funding for the arts, which compounds the problems of declining individual giving and declining ticket sales. In light of these circumstances, many arts organizations may even be forced to close their doors.
Interlochen supporters place a high value on investing in arts and typically are strong advocates for funding. However, in a time of hardship, even the most passionate defenders of the arts concede that there are other worthy causes in need of support. So what is an arts advocate to do?
Understand the Challenges
The inherent problem the arts face is the volatility of funding. Many of the main funding streams for the arts are “hyper-sensitive” to changes in government, corporate and personal budgets. In government and school board settings, the arts are seen as a luxury to be supported when times are good – and abandoned when times are tough. This funding volatility interferes with the development of established and healthy arts programs, which need continuous – not sporadic – support to help young artists thrive.
Every U.S. state and jurisdiction offers at least some support to arts and cultural groups, but many of these are making substantial budget cuts. Among all state and territory arts agencies, 20 are currently facing cuts. In Michigan, for example, state funding for arts and culture has been reduced from $25.5 million in 2002 to $7.9 million in 2009.
The combined effects of declines in government, corporate and individual support create tremendous swings in the levels of funding. According to Americans for the Arts, a nonprofit lobbying group in Washington, D.C., about 10,000 arts organizations, or 10 percent of all arts organizations in the country, are at risk of folding. Examples of hardship among large arts organizations regularly appear in the news, from the Detroit Institute of Arts cutting 20 percent of their staff to the Baltimore Opera closing its doors for good.
Make the Case
There is a natural tendency for artists and art-lovers to focus on the inherent value of the arts – the immeasurable joy and satisfaction that we experience through the arts. Yet many arts supporters seem to have a palpable discomfort when it comes to focusing on peripheral benefits of the arts like economic development. Some people seem to think this type of justification diminishes the true value of the arts. Yet, when faced with budget-cutters who do not necessarily share their passion for the arts – advocacy based solely on the immeasurable value of the arts can quickly turn in to an exercise in despair.
Here is a key point: as much as the arts enrich our lives, advocates must also remember that there are benefits in addition to their intrinsic value. Identifying these positive outcomes does not need to take away from the inherent value of the arts – but should supplement the argument that the arts play an important role in our society and deserve support.
To be effective advocates, we need to overcome our discomfort with the positive side effects of the arts and embrace all of the ways that our society benefits from them.
The arts are an economic engine and an important part of our economy. A stable arts and cultural sector creates vibrant communities and attracts a capable workforce. Arts and culture-related industries provide direct economic benefits to states and communities by creating jobs, attracting new investments, generating tax revenues and stimulating tourism and consumer purchases.
Interlochen Center for the Arts alone pumps $18 million in payroll back into the regional economy and has used local companies and workers to complete more than $22 million in capital projects and facility renovations in the last five years. More than 250,000 visitors come to our campus every year, benefitting the entire region.
Research shows that training and participation in the arts develops the mind and provides tools for academic and professional success. A 2008 study by the Dana Arts and Cognition Consortium brought together cognitive neuroscientists from seven universities to explore the connection between arts and academic performance. They studied involvement in several different disciplines including music, dance and theatre and concluded that each contributed to improvement in specific fundamental academic skills such as memory and cognition.
Despite cuts to arts education funding, there are positive signs that many states and local governments are beginning to grasp the enormous benefits of arts education. Thirty-seven states and the District of Columbia have established fine arts requirements for high school graduation ensuring the arts remain core subjects.
Find Solutions
From the very beginning, Interlochen Center for the Arts and its supporters have been passionate advocates for the arts and education. For its continued success as an organization, Interlochen needs strong arts programs around the country and arts educators who inspire students and lay a foundation for future artistic growth. That is why Interlochen remains on the forefront of the effort to support the arts.
Today we have running conversations with local, state and national arts organizations, government agencies, elected officials, business leaders, individual philanthropists, educators, and funders throughout the country to find new creative ways to provide adequate and stable funding for arts organizations and arts education.
There is no simple answer to this challenge but interesting and innovative plans have been developed around the country. Using a mix of public and private funds, some states have developed cultural trusts and endowments with the primary objective of providing long-term financial stability. In a small number of states, the arts have been supported by specialty license plate fees, income tax check-offs or lottery funds. A few state arts agencies receive dollars from state level taxes and bond issues.
Of course, arts organizations must also look inward. Providing creative and indispensable arts programming is one of the best ways to earn support from donors, governments and patrons, even when there are competing priorities. “As all companies are becoming more creative to entice consumers to their products during a time of conservation, so too must arts organizations,” explained Julie Peeler, vice president of arts and business programs at Americans for the Arts. “Now is a time to find ways to increase collaboration and search out new partners to help market and promote artistic offerings.”
During these difficult times it is more important than ever that the arts have a voice. The arts have a role to play in the economic recovery of our cities and states. At the local, state and national level, now is the time to make an effective case for supporting the arts – a case that embraces the intrinsic value of the arts and its many other benefits. With nearly 100,000 Interlochen alumni around the world, including many arts professionals, our community must take a leadership role in this effort. We cannot afford to wait on the sidelines for things to get better.
