What a gift.
The Greater Columbus Arts Council and the City of Columbus came together to create a new funding model for the arts. After years of planning and months of public debate, artists and arts organizations will have more resources to create, broaden access, and sustain the cultural fabric of our community.
There are economic development arguments for supporting the arts, such as attracting businesses, talent, and tourism. There are also educational arguments about improved learning outcomes. But the arts are more than that. They are essential to being human.
The earliest examples of human civilization can be found in cave paintings and shards of pottery. Telling stories, making music, singing, dancing, drawing, weaving, acting, and more are common to every culture in every corner of the globe. The human need to communicate and create is profound.
Think about a time when the arts moved you. Whether it was a Mozart concerto or a Garth Brooks ballad, did it stir your emotions? Did it transport you to another time or place? Did it connect you to someone in your life or to the stranger next to you?
Time and again, my life has been enriched by standing in front of a painting or sitting in a theatre. Increased public funding for the arts ensures that more people in more parts of our community will experience the same.
Gifts such as these only happen when leaders like Tom Katzenmeyer, Shannon Hardin, Andrew Ginther, Tom Szykowny, Larry James, and so many others take a stand. Thank you for what you’ve done to increase cultural equity in Columbus.
Generations will benefit.
Article by: Kerri Laubenthal Mollard, Founder & CEO
