Well said and factually substantiated many times over…
Unfortunately, it seems current Congressional Culture isn’t biased against only the arts these days…witness the drastic cuts to such scientific staples as NOAA, NASA etc
Creativity is found in all aspects of life, not just confined to the arts and so bottom-line: your statement that a society’s culture defines its values is between a rock and a hard place (to put it nicely).
🙁
Sigh.

Yes, you as an educator can especially appreciate its merits.

I am not one of those people who is particularly gifted when it comes to music or the arts, and I don’t have the first clue about funding and organizing a non-profit, but I certainly appreciate the need for such things, and I delight in the beauty of the results. Those results are not only works of art that are pleasing to the eyes and ears, they are stronger communities, brighter minds, enriched lives, broadened cultural awareness, enhanced education, decreases in violence and drugs… I could go on and on. If only the people who pass budgets in Congress could appreciate the fact that a society’s culture defines it’s values.

Yes, it is a great example of the positive power of what it means for everyday citizens to get involved with a solution to the ‘devaluation of the arts’. It’s kindof like a ‘build it and they will come’ sort of thing – if those who understand how to get non-profits organized and offer practical solutions to specific community needs, then the general public will step up and make a difference. Crowdfunding outside of the internet box! HA!

Thank you for recognizing the need and seeing this as the gem that it is…

Yeah, it was 100% totally unexpected…which made it all the more special.

Thanks for dropping by, Phil and welcome!
You’re assessment is spot-on (as you guys would say) and I didn’t feel that your comment was at all ‘un-mannerly’.