Editorial: Arts Center brings so much to Jamestown

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Right now is a truly exciting time for the arts in Jamestown. The Arts Center already makes a strong cultural impact here and over the next two year’s it’s only going to improve.

This summer the Arts Center was accepted into two programs offered by Arts Midwest, one of six regional arts organizations in the United States.

Arts Midwest is an organization that promotes creativity, nurtures cultural leadership, and engages people in meaningful arts experiences, bringing vitality to Midwest communities and enriching people’s lives, according to its website. It serves a nine-state region which includes North Dakota.

To be selected for two major Arts Midwest programs can be considered a jewel in the Arts Center’s crown.

The Arts Midwest program that looks to directly benefit the most people over the course of the next year is Caravanserai. Jamestown was one of only four cities across the nation selected for this program.

A variety of Moroccan artists including musicians and a filmmaker will come to Jamestown to interact in our schools, at our college, in our assisted-living facilities, in lectures with us and on our stages.

While we get a taste of Moroccan culture, these artists will get a taste of small-town America. It should prove as life-altering to them as it potentially could be for us.

The second Arts Midwest program is called ArtsLab. This is a two-year program designed to mold the Arts Center to operate more like a business.

What many people don’t realize is arts are a major business across the nation and arts make an impact locally.

In the past four years the Arts Center has brought in $400,000 in grants, all of which have been spent in the community.

None of that went to the remodeling of the Arts Center or the construction and maintenance of the Arts Park. Donors who support the arts in Jamestown can be thanked for that.

Some smaller organizations will benefit from the experience and knowledge the Arts Center staff brings. The Arts Center staff, in turn, will benefit from the knowledge shared by larger organizations.

This program is an investment in the future of Jamestown to assure that youth will have an opportunity to experience the potential of the arts.

Where else showcases local artists in a wide variety of mediums? Where else can school children get hands-on learning from artists after school or during the summer? Where else can people go and see their friends and family on stage?

The arts are a reflection of what the community offers — and right now that reflection and the future look bright.

(Editorials are the opinion of Jamestown Sun management and the newspaper’s editorial board)

Tags: arts center, opinion, editorials