by Elaine Dennis

Art tells stories: nourishes the spirit, and feeds our soul, some even call art salvation.

This post is about sharing recent observations and views regarding affairs in the arts, acknowledging its unquestionable affect and importance in our daily lives

Director and actor Jaime Gomez shares that “art is emotion made tangible; whether paint, words, music, dance…real art will illicit real emotion in the viewer/listener…. that real feeling is gold to an artist.”

My own background is in design and technology; I worked for many years in Silicon Valley and was also an instructor at the Graphic Arts Institute in San Francisco. Today, I spend most of my time in Los Angeles (NoHo Arts District), making frequent trips to the Bay Area. I share here some of what I see and hear along the way.

Current Affairs of the Arts

In Support of the Arts

There’s a petition circulating around the internet recently based on music mogul Quincy Jones’ plea to President Obama to create a cabinet-level appointed Secretary of Arts and Humanities post. Jones’ cites young people’s ignorance of American musical icons such as Duke Ellington and John Coltrane as one example that makes him sad and why the arts need a higher advocate. Ten years in the making, perhaps its time has come, other countries (France, Germany) have appointed Ministers of Culture and this would be a first for the US. As of 1/30/09 the petition has over 220,000 signatures (http://www.petitiononline.com/esnyc/petition.html).

However, the bigger issue on the table right now for Obama is funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (and having some of the increase in funds go towards helping nonprofits in the same way the for-profit sector is being “bailed out”). The stimulus plan includes a $50 million supplement for NEA to then distribute to nonprofit arts organizations and also through the state and local arts agencies. The arts groups are in turn urging federal departments (ie. Transportation or Labor) to factor culture into their financing.

On Arts Education

I posed the following question to a host of individuals with varying backgrounds in the state of CA: if there was only one thing about arts they could change what would it be? Resoundingly, I heard calls for more funding for the arts and arts education. It seems like a given that it should be an important component of our lives and our children’s education, but increasingly federal and state program funding is slashed.

The arts are as basic to education as language, math or science, yet they are taught and funded largely as a frill, something the children of people with money can afford to study. Meg Madden, Executive Director for non-profit Music in Schools Today, says “exposure to music at an early age has a positive impact on ability in other areas because it is an early, organizing intelligence” referencing studies conducted by at Harvard Project Zero among others.

Hopefully, we are in a time of resurgence for the arts, and they become more integrated because our leadership has a healthy respect and appreciation for the arts and its vital role in humanity. It helps to have a President who exudes compassion who even pens some original poetry.


Art in Down Economic Times

Reaching Out

Mayor’s Office and the SF Examiner recently hosted “Arts Fight Back: Thriving in a Recession” in San Francisco, which I attended. The stated goal: to help arts organizations survive and cope during the declining economy through diversification and expansion of their patron base.

San Francisco has long been a leading arts city, with roughly $4 billion generated annually through the various arts. Attendees included arts organizations citywide and beyond, both large and small. A collaborative effort and a step in the right direction amidst very difficult times for arts organizations.

Patti Solomon, Entertainment Arts Liaison for the Mayor’s Office who helped pull together the arts groups attending the event says “art has always made us aware of many things- beauty, poverty, war, peace…it is a connector to all cultures; it must be kept in constant upkeep and preserved for our future generations.”

Giving Back

Innovative artist Bren Bataclan, quite literally has taken matters into his own hands with his aptly named “SMILE: Everything will be Alright” project. The artist leaves his own paintings around unemployment offices and places that have recently gone out of business to name a few, with the idea of getting art to those less fortunate who may not otherwise be in a position to experience or collect art. Each painting comes with a handwritten note with a simple request of those who find them -- to smile more often at others.


(copyright: Bren Bataclan)

The distinctive characters are whimsical, happy and do make people want to smile. Bataclan’s works have been found around several cities recently, including Boston and San Francisco lighting up the smiles of those who come across them, and then some. Bravo!

With today's depressing news and dismal state of the global economy, we all could use some cheering up. The arts – and specifically live performances – can serve our need to release; to smile/laugh/dance- to lighten our load. According to NoHo-based funnyman Larry Omaha, that is exactly what is reflected in comedy club attendance - he says the clubs are packed. Reminding us that “laughter is the best medicine…which of course, makes me a drug-dealer!” Omaha performs regularly at the HaHa here in NoHo and also at venues around Los Angeles.


Elaine is a blogger on inkit.com and hosts art salons at Ink Studios in the NoHo Arts District. Next open studio date, March 1st. info@inkit.com