In her State of the State Address before the Tri-Chambers of Commerce in Rochester in July, Gov. Kelly Ayotte provided her assessment of the latest state budget and her areas of concern.
In addition to discussing the need to protect the NH advantage and focus on housing, education and safety, Gov. Ayotte called for increasing investment in the arts. She noted, as a major feature in this issue explores, that funding for the arts was nearly eliminated in the state budget.
It is a tough economic blow that comes at a time when many arts organizations face funding challenges as federal pandemic funds have been depleted. And the arts themselves are under attack, especially art that delves into areas of diversity, equity and inclusion.
As arts organizations struggle to return to pre-pandemic audience levels, some are in danger of shuttering. They are in an even more competitive landscape for donor dollars and grants as many individuals who would typically donate find themselves in financial straits due to high housing costs, higher food costs and higher prices for goods. Nonprofits addressing those basic needs are also financially strained and in need of funding.
When donors start making choices about where to invest, hunger and homelessness will of course be where many rightfully put their dollars. This is not a call to fund the arts in place of basic human needs. This is a call to find additional funding for the arts so they are not forgotten. We must recognize the importance of the arts to our communities. They draw us together at a time where we are increasingly fractured and at odds with one another.
Gov. Ayotte is correct when she said investing in the arts yields a return for the state in many ways and I hope she and the Legislature will find ways to increase investment in the arts.
The arts will be even more reliant on the business community to step up and fill budget gaps. And we should. They help to attract our workforce. Employees want to live and work in vibrant communities where there is culture. They want concerts, plays, museums and community events with crafts, arts and entertainment.
Yes, the arts are vital to the state’s economy. More so, though, we need the arts to help us process the complicated challenges we face in society. We need art to lift us up and feed our souls, and to show us that there is still beauty in the world.
Sincerely,
Matthew J. Mowry,
Co-Publisher and Executive Editor
