The Mayor and our whole community have had a lot to deal with during the last week. I want to take a moment to offer solutions. At a recent midnight visit to the jail…I said, “How can I connect what you do here in the jail to the Arts?” Then it came to me. Art IS crime prevention. Yes it is!
Mayor Fischer, a major part of the answer you are seeking is right in front of you. One of the most innovative solutions to crime prevention is wide-spread arts programming made available to everyone. Art-based crime prevention programs get folks off the street and give them something to do. Positive ways to express themselves. We stand ready to serve through drama, song, dance, visual arts. Research proves it works. [Read the Americans for the Arts’ data on art & crime prevention online.] The Arts organizations are ready to deliver.
As a community let’s ask the Mayor to be innovative as he thinks about crime prevention. Encourage him to partner with the Fund for the Arts for School’s Out=Art’s In! The Fund stands ready to launch this program, but we need the Mayor’s fiscal support. Let’s use a proven creative approach to crime prevention.
Click the image below to watch my video blog and weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section below.
Jump in here, demonstrate your support by giving just $1 a week and we’ll get kids off the street. How? We’ll teach them to sing, dance, act, paint. Who knows, maybe they’ll learn to respect and value each other in ways that never occurred to them. Maybe they’ll learn something about teamwork. Heck, they might discover they like to learn, stay in school, earn a scholarship and go to college. Now we’re talkin’! 55,000 Degrees here we come.
Art is the common thread that connects all humanity. Let’s connect! We can do this. Together through the Arts we create a great American City!
Coming Events:
Actor’s Theatre of Louisville 2012-2013 Season ticket subscriptions are on sale now.
50 Years of Studio Glass is on exhibit today at the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft. Don’t miss the final lecture in this fantastic series June 1st @ 7 pm Artist talk with Laura Donefer.
You have just 3 days left to win the car of your dreams from the Kentucky Opera. Raffle ticket drawing will be held at 4 pm this Saturday May 26th at Blue Grass MOTORSPORT.
Summer may be just beginning, but our thoughts are already on Nutcracker tickets! Louisville Ballet season tickets are on sale today, don’t miss out on a guaranteed seat for one of Louisville’s greatest holiday traditions.
Stage one Family Theatre presents Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat! June 8th – 17th. Get your tickets today. And for a limited time we are giving away 2 tickets to a special June 7th screening of the show to the first 50 people who write us a recommendation on Facebook! Tickets are limited so recommend us today!
Have we been to visit your work place this week? See photos from our many outings on Flickr by clicking on the image below:
Barbara Sexton Smith
President & CEO
Fund for the Arts
