I am writing this letter to raise awareness of the immediate need for a dedicated arts space in Squamish. The Official Community Plan includes a multi-purpose arts centre for downtown, but likely our community will not see this vision realized for 15 years or longer. Without any plans for an interim solution, the arts community will continue to face challenges for growth and sustainability.
In a recent arts survey conducted by the Squamish Arts Council (SAC), the need for additional “arts space” was identified as the number one priority for the vast majority of individuals, schools, user groups, arts educators, arts guilds and not-for-profits.
Investment in arts programming and education can benefit Squamish because of the strong community connections generated from events and activities such as arts mentorship, training and rehearsals that bring people together. For example, when children are exposed to the arts, not only do they gain a deeper appreciation of arts and culture, they can also benefit academically and socially.
In 2002, the Arts Education Partnership – a coalition of more than 100 national education, arts, philanthropic and government organizations – released a report showing that “schoolchildren exposed to drama, music and dance may do a better job at mastering reading, writing and math than those who focus solely on academics.”
A study in 2006 by the Solomon R Guggenheim Museum found that “students in the [arts] program performed better in six categories of literacy and critical thinking skills – including thorough description, hypothesizing and reasoning – than did students who were not in the program.”
Furthermore, studies show that exposure to the arts makes people nicer, more altruistic and likely kinder to one another.
In 2002, Kelly LeRoux, assistant professor of public administration of the University of Illinois, published the paper “Impact of the Arts on Individual Contributions to U.S Civil Society” that suggested “there is something about the creative process that puts people more in touch with their emotions, which manifests in helpful, caring, nurturing, types of actions.”
On Dec. 11, the Squamish Arts Council will be putting forward a Grant In Aid application asking for support from the District of Squamish to support our initiative to launch a dedicated arts space for the community. We hope to inspire passion and support for the arts from the mayor, council, district staff and the community at large.
Michelle Neilson
Chair, Squamish Arts Council
