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The Importance of the Arts

Sam Gappmayer, a past FAC CEO, spelled out his top five reasons the arts are important at his welcome reception.

  • The arts function as a metaphorical town square where people can gather and discuss the issues relative to their time and place. Shared experiences in the arts pull us together as communities and provide a basis from which we can work together.
  • Our participation in the arts sensitizes us to the needs of others. They help us see those around us with a greater degree of empathy and compassion and make us more effective in addressing pressing societal needs.
  • Through the arts we are both challenged and reaffirmed in our core values. The result is an ongoing process that enlarges individuals and expands our capacity as communities.
  • The arts feed the soul. Dr. Martin Luther King once said that while roads and bridges make us a civilization, the arts make us civilized. They provide an element to life that defies description and, without which, we would be poorer.
  • Involvement in the arts encourages creative thinking and opens the door to new solutions and approaches.

So what do you think … why are the arts important to you, especially in these challenging times?