Video by Alicia Gonzales
In times of budgetary crisis, the arts are often the first thing to go.
The City of Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture held the PHX Arts + Culture @ 30 Years celebration Saturday at the Phoenix Convention Center and Herberger Theater to illustrate that the economic and cultural benefits of art are worth the cost.
The office set out to showcase the arts and cultural institutions of Phoenix through outreach and performance and demonstrate the tangible impacts of that art.
A video presentation highlighted several of the economic benefits of art. The message was that art encourages the use of infrastructure, like with the creation of shade structures on public transit routes and the subsequent increased functionality and usage. The video also showed that 80 percent of all funds put into arts projects in Phoenix are used to contract through local builders.
Mayor Greg Stanton also weighed in on the economic aspect of the arts.
“We are competing for the best jobs, the highest wage jobs in technologies, science, innovation and the kinds of entrepreneurs and companies that we’re trying to attract will only come to Phoenix if they believe that we do have a thriving arts and culture community,” he said. “We don’t often think of it in those terms but we should.”
Most of the organizations and performers at the event were more concerned with cultural outreach.
District 7 councilman Michael Nowakowski said the event highlighted the ability of art to transcend cultural barriers and foster a sense of community in Phoenix: to find what he referred to as “common ground.” For this event in particular he emphasized the role of outreach to a younger generation.
“What’s so amazing about art is that it’s a part of our culture,” Nowakowski said. “It’s a part of our soul. What I’m afraid of is that we’re losing a whole generation of young people with all of the educational budget cuts, because the first thing to be cut in the schools are cultural programs and art.”
Many performers from the event echoed that sentiment. From a 35 minute adaptation of Don Giovanni featuring such characters as the Big Bad Wolf and Little Red Riding Hood to an interactive hip hop dance demonstration, performances were definitely geared towards engaging the next generation in the artistic culture of Phoenix.
With groups present like Orpheus Male Chorus, which at 86 years is the oldest chorus in the state, and All Puppet Players, an entirely puppet-based theater troupe, outreach was the goal from the most established to the most niche.
“My primary purpose of saying yes to this event was to find new audience members and to find new singers,” said Brook Larson, artistic director of Orpheus.
“Art in general is need of a public forum, and nothing is better than a place where people can get together and show that all art is worthy, especially puppets, because puppets are better than all art,” said Shaun McNamara, the owner of All Puppet Players, through the felt mouth of Hamlet, his fuzzy blue monster puppet.
But even beyond the idea of promotion, some organizations used this event to create tangible impacts on the community.
Rosie’s House, a group which offers free music lessons to kids in inner-city Phoenix, used this opportunity to find new students and donors for their organization, describing their impact on the community as enhancing the cognitive development of disenfranchised youth.
The event carried that message of impact alongside all of the interaction and entertainment.
“A lot of people think that we are not as sophisticated as other cities,” McNamara said. “But what they will see while walking around here is that there is a lot of quality work being done in the valley.”
Contact the reporter at csmannin@asu.edu
