Artists' spaces and Public Art = jobs.

I decided to get away for my Birthday. I'm in Ulster County, NY. The heart of the Hudson River Valley. It's 45 degrees and cloudy, the Wallkill river is rushing from all the rain and the Catskills are just popping with green. It's a nice time to be here. It's a great way to get my mind of that job that I'm waiting to hear about! (Still no word.) My friend Marty runs several antique mall booths/shops and we're filling the shelves with new finds. It's a whole complex dedicated to artists and artisans. There's even an artisan cheese shop. It reminds me of listening to Congressman Jim Moran on Tuesday morning talk about the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria, VA. What could be better for the economy the such creative adaptive reuse of empty spaces. Look at this barn...

...in another place it might have been left to rot. It was an old lumber yard. Now this place is a vibrant artists community. There is a restaurant, a coffee shop and more and probably about 25 people who work here (like Marty, his business partner Walter and of course, Blossom who runs the gallery across the way.) Working artists and artisans. Paying taxes (which are pretty high here) and contributing to the economy.

There also happens to be a lot of people shopping today. Just an observation.

But beyond the shops themselves, there is art everywhere. Public Art. I think of Rocco Landesman's tour of the Mural's of Philadelphia. I think of standing in the Hart Senate office building lobby and being in awe of "Mountain & Clouds" as it towers over our lawmakers. And guess what - the art was created by someone. Someone whose JOB it is to create art. And these places are the better for it.

During my time at the Prince Theatre in Chestertown, MD, I coined a phrase that became our motto: "See a Show; Start a Conversation." Well, I encourage you to take a moment or two this weekend, go out to your local antique mall, artist gallery, theater, writers center, whatever... and see a "show" and start a conversation. Talk about what your neighborhood would be like without these places. Maybe it will inspire you to buy a ticket for another event, or make a small donation to your local community theater. The act of spurring the economy can take many different shapes. The NEA's portion of the multi-billion dollar Recovery Act of 2009 was only $50 million. In Maryland, that translated in to $1.4 million distributed to arts organizations saving or creating dozens of jobs. Let's not forget the critical role the arts play everyday, in big cities and small towns across America.