On March 27, at 7 p.m., there will be an in-person (Town House) and Zoom joint meeting of all current arts-related committees in Concord.
The arts contribute to a town’s economic vitality, as the Select Board’s recent update of the Economic Vitality Committee’s Charge acknowledges. However, the extent to which this is true, and what more the arts provide, are not necessarily obvious to everyone. It goes well beyond bringing visitors who then patronize our shops and restaurants.
The arts also open the eyes, minds, and the hearts of a community, providing comfort and strength in difficult times, communal togetherness and nonverbal communication, intellectual and imaginative enhancement. All of these contribute to our wellbeing as a society, enhancing economic vitality along the way as a natural outcome of better health, joy, and collaboration.
In this light, it is important to recognize the importance of individual independent artists, the variety of views their work offers, and the uniqueness of their worth, regardless of any affiliation or promotion by an organization. Multiplicity of artistic offerings broaden our awareness of what there is and what there can be. This is similar in concept to the protection we offer to our small businesses, and not only the larger ones. It is similar to protecting biodiversity, not only trendy landscaping. All serve a function in enriching our lives.
Please join the conversation on March 27.
Tanya Bartevyan
Prescott Road