Dear Editor
As a local resident, I would like to urge the powers that be to be more supportive of the arts in Superior. As a former Town Commissioner and President of the Superior Arts League I know how much creative activities ad events mean to our town’s people. For years, they have enthusiastically attended our local events, including painting exhibits, studio tours, dance, music, poetry readings, sculptural demos, jewelry , crafts and etc.
It is not enough to express a tolerance for creative expression. Our leaders need to step up to the plate and fully encourage our local artists and to wholeheartedly welcome those from outlying regions. In this time of unprecedented economic malaise, artists cannot afford any additional financial pressure.
Recent demands for increased rental costs, new red tape and paperwork, and new fees represent a new and discouraging burden for our creative people. These new demands have already forced out some of our artists who cannot afford to participate. We need to prevent further losses in the future by eliminating all but the most basic of fees and paperwork for our artists.
To discourage art with economic blockades is extremely shortsighted and will certainly not balance our town’s budget. It is to be ignorant of the plain fact that art in town means money in town. When people look at art or listen to music, they also spend money throughout our community. It enriches our town both economically and culturally.
I believe it is time for us all to do some soul searching, and to look closely at what we really value. Do we think, for example, that it is okay for our children to grow up without music and art in their lives? We need to eliminate the ill-conceived idea that art is a luxury which we can live without.
I am reminded of a popular tune from some years back which asks “How can love survive in such a graceless age?” Discouraging the arts in Superior is to, indeed, make us devoid of grace and beauty. It will deny our people what they deserve; a future where creativity is encouraged at every level within our community; and, above all else, a place where artistic expression is respected and cherished.
/s/Charles S. Davison
Superior, AZ
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