This last year has been one of the most challenging to be an arts organization in British Columbia. Like so many galleries, museums, festivals, theatre groups etc., the cuts (or I should say the all out denial of the arts as being worthy of money that is targeted for community vitality) through the Direct Access Gaming Funds and the projected cuts to the BC Arts Council grants are monumental. Along with these major cuts to core funding other sources have also become difficult to access such as monies from sponsorship and foundations. Frustrations are growing across the province as groups struggle to keep their doors open and offer their programming, while also needing to work even more overtime to initiate new fundraising and work on advocacy campaigns.

As a worker in the arts who is passionate and willing to regularly work more than I’m paid for (as I know so many of us do) it becomes absurd to think that I will have to subsidize the work that I do even further, or even worse, leave the sector all together. I don’t think the government has any clue of the value they get for each dollar that they put into arts and culture. We have all heard the dollar amount that comes back directly in tax dollars collected on arts and culture activity (from $1.01 to $1.38), but if one was to start thinking about all of the hours of work that go unpaid – that we all do because we believe in the work that we do – the value becomes astronomical. And of course the value of the arts cannot simply be calculated in dollars and cents, it goes far beyond that. It provides us a window into what it means to be human – an experience of the inexplicable. The reason we make art is not easily rationalized or explained – which is why is it is easy to discount its value. But now, more than ever we need creative and critical thinking skills in order to find solutions to the issues facing the planet.

I also don’t give much credence to the attitude that these are tough economic times and the “frills” (as the arts are often referred to) must be cut. There is money, and in general this government prefers to spend it on tax breaks for large corporations rather than on grants to non-profits. But we are a business too, and if the logging and mining industries deserve to be subsidized, so do the arts. We generate revenue, create jobs and build healthy and vibrant communities – communities that people want to live in. How often have you heard about a situation where artists move into a poor community and then revitalize it through opening galleries, creating funky venues for music and performance and adding colour to the streets? As the community is revitalized it then becomes attractive to more people; people that are craving that connection to something creative and vibrant (don’t we all crave that!?) and soon enough property values rise and the artists move on to the next affordable place and start again.

I see this very situation happening in Wells, where property values are on the rise and real estate has been sold directly because of the work that Island Mountain Arts does. Essentially Island Mountain Arts, over the last 33 years has created the arts community that the town is now getting recognized for, and building an economy around – it didn’t just magically happen either. Tourists are now coming to Wells specifically for the galleries the Sunset Theatre, the School of the Arts and the ArtsWells Festival – we are not just the “host town to the ghost town,” anymore. We are an economic force, but we need “tax breaks” (aka funding) too. The amount that is being cut from all of our budgets is beginning to cripple our abilities to continue the important work that we do and once these structures are dismantled, it will be a huge challenge (or impossible) to build them up again. What will be lost is immeasurable.

So, what can we do? There are some advocacy initiatives that are being planned by an ad-hoc group that has come together (mostly South Coast based) that is being led by the Alliance for Arts and Culture, which include a “Arts Summit” coming up on June 24 and 25 in Surrey, BC. There is also the “Day at the Legislature” that was being planned for the fall, but since the government has decided not to sit now until the spring, it is being re-scheduled to then. Beyond that I think it is up to each of us to continue to support and advocate for arts and culture – talk to your neighbour, talk to your local politicians, go to your local galleries, attend a concert or theatre show. Get your children involved, provide them an experience of the arts, and let them find out why it’s important. Experiencing arts and culture changed my life for the better – I imagine if you are reading this, it changed your life too.

And if you are looking for an opportunity to introduce someone to the magic of the arts please come on down to Wells and Barkerville for the 7^th Annual ArtsWells Festival of All Things Art from July 30 – August 2. Experience over eighty acts on eight stages over four days in two towns, plus tons of workshops, an ArtWalk and fun activities for kids (artswells.com). Also consider taking a workshop from our great lineup of courses at the Island Mountain Arts School of the Arts (imarts.com).