Tuesday, November 10, 2009

NEA Chair Plays in Peoria

This past Friday, I took part in a discussion that was part of a visit to Peoria by National Endowment for the Arts Chairman, Rocco Landesman. The visit came about as a result of comments that Chairman Landesman made several months ago, saying that he didn't know if Peoria had a theatre, but that if so, it probably wasn't as good as the Steppenwolf in Chicago. Suzette Boulais, Executive Director of ArtsPartners, and Kathy Chitwood, Executive Director of Eastlight Theatre each wrote to Rocco, saying he should come see for himself what Peoria has to offer. And he took them up on it, using his visit to Peoria as the kickoff for his Art Works tour, which will have him visiting cities throughout the country to learn how art shapes the economics, city revitalization, and social development of communities. He wrapped up his visit by attending a special performance of Rent at Eastlight.

The discussion I attended took place at WTVP studios and was taped for the NEA website, as well as a special edition of At Issue, a WTVP program with producer/host, H. Wayne Wilson. I was one of the audience members who posed questions to Chairman Landesman in both tapings.

I have a strong sense that those of us in the arts have a responsibility to make our voices heard, when it comes time to shape public policy that effects how the arts are funded and allowed to thrive. One of the interesting points that Chairman Landesman made is that even some Congress members have made comments about the (comparitively miniscule) amounts of the national budget directed to supporting the arts being frivolous, and that it could instead go to creating "real jobs". Rocco pointed out that someone who'd spent their life working to become the top violinist in a symphony orchestra would not think they didn't have a "real job". And he went on to note that the number of people who have full time jobs in the arts is actually greater than the number of people with jobs in the transportation sector and automobile manufacturing industries combined.

There was also discussion of the arts in education, how it's the first thing eliminated when budgets are tight. And yet it's been shown again and again that students who have the arts as a part of their curriculum achieve higher in all areas of academic pursuit, as well as at success in life and business after leaving school, than those who don't. We need the arts if we're to compete effectively on the world stage. Those who claim otherwise are simply ignorant of the facts.

So it's obvious that the arts play a major role in the economic, academic, and cultural health of our society, and it's time that those of us who have a stake in the arts step up and educate people on the realities of not only the part that art plays in our personal lives, but also of the value it has in our economic health as a nation.

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Tuesday, November 3, 2009

The True Value of Art and Entertainment

Well, it's been a while since I've shared anything here, so I thought it was high time. I've had a busy summer, and I'm currently gearing up for my holiday season. I've been tracking some of the press on corporate holiday parties, and how many companies are cutting back, due to the economy. And of course that can often cut into the bottom line of those of us who earn our living performing in such markets.

This morning I was thinking about entertainment and the real value of it. It's also come up recently about the importance of the arts and the loss we all suffer when funding cuts lead to the elimination of arts related programs.

So as a performing artist and entertainer, I give some real thought to the value of live entertainment. I was realizing that in our culture, much of the entertainment is mostly escapist in nature. In other words, people use it to "zone out" of their everyday stresses. Which is fine as far as it goes, but unfortunately, it often leads to "lowest common denominator" types of fare. Entertainment that just goes for the shock value, or the glitz and glamour that grabs attention, but has no real value beyond pure escapism.

In this climate of mindless media, it's easy to see why people often think of entertainment as frivolous and unimportant and having no real value. In order for entertainment to make the leap to performing art, there has to be something with a bit more depth: a message with meaning, or something that makes people think or feel, or simply something with real "heart and soul".

It needn't be complicated or even blatantly obvious. Red Skelton comes to mind for me. He played the clown, but in everything he did, his humble sincerity shone forth like a beacon of compassion. He touched people.

In magic, it's easy to be "lazy" and just go for the "I fooled you" effect. But what about creating a deeper experience? What about putting something of yourself into your magic, so that you can create a common experience for your audience? Doesn't matter if it's an experience of wonder or joy or something else entirely, so long as it has some real depth. Sincerity, honesty, something real.

Perhaps when and if we do this, it will become easier to sell what we do in the relevant markets in which we work. Entertainment can have more true value to people, value that makes a difference in their lives. We just have to create it that way.

And speaking of the value in what we do, here's a really interesting story from this week's CBS Sunday Morning program on how sleight of hand effects the brain, and how it may even be useful in helping to diagnose autism. Here it is.

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