Arts Day

February 1, 2012. Seattle Repertory Theatre. 6:30am.

In the dark and drizzle of pre-dawn, I met up with Corey (the costuming intern) and Jon (the visiting Yale fellow) and we all piled in Managing Director Benjamin Moore’s car. Our destination: Arts & Heritage Day at the state capitol in Olympia, organized by the Washington State Arts Alliance.

We arrived just in time to grab some coffee and attend an orientation session. Though I was familiar with a similar event in Missouri (my home-state), I appreciated the opportunity to expand my understanding of Washington state issues. Then, equipped with a rundown of arts-related bills under consideration, a map of the capitol, and Seattle Rep swag to give away, we headed out to do some seriously-awesome advocacy work!

Advocating for the arts always makes me feel empowered. There is something about walking through a rotunda on my way to meet with a legislator that makes me believe I am making a difference. It helps that I passionately believe the central message of the day: arts have a positive effect on engagement, education, and the economy.

Throughout the morning, I attended meetings with fellow representatives from a variety of cultural organizations. Legislators seemed very receptive to our message and most had a story to share about how the arts had positively impacted their constituents. At the noon luncheon, it was exciting to see numerous senators, representatives, and aides that dropped by to show their support.

The afternoon found us in more meetings, with some free time here and there to check out the Capitol Gift Shop (coloring book of President Obama, anyone?) and the nearby lake. Who knew that Capitol Lake is infested with New Zealand Mud Snails?!

Discussing the events of the day as we drove back to Seattle, our car-ride discussion turned into an animated discussion of the future of arts funding, especially government support. In this climate of tough budget propositions and deep cuts to the arts, it will take many more people adding their voices to ensure that elected leaders support funding and policies that allow people to enjoy, participate in, and benefit from the arts.

I’m proud to have been part of Arts & Heritage Day but will also be looking for other opportunities to share the message: theater and the arts are essential.

-- Melissa Fagan, Arts Management Intern