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| CRBJ Home > February 2007 | |||||
Money flows through the arts in MadisonBy Melita Schuessler
Go ahead. Sharpen your pencil and start ticking off jobs created: According to the 2006 Creative Industries report by Americans for the Arts, 6,714 people in Wisconsin's 2nd Congressional District have arts-related employment. Then, tally up the tickets and memberships sold, plus donations of time, talent and cash. Count coffees purchased before and after shows at the Overture Center, the Memorial Union, the Barrymore, and beyond. Add up each brick and pane of glass in our new cultural edifices, as well the hours of labor required to construct them. Don't forget to figure out dollars spent on printing, catering, keeping lights on and hiring babysitters. In these ways and many others, Madison's arts community makes a tangible contribution to the local economy. But even if we managed to assess the economic impact down the penny, we would completely miss the heart of the matter. No mere spreadsheet could possibly capture the true state of the arts in Madison. That's not a bad thing. Financial statements fail to express some important truths about business, too. Arts and business are essentially human endeavors, highly dependent on both individual creativity and collaboration. People, not robots or computer algorithms, launch and manage companies - people driven by dreams, ambitions, and quirks of personality. Like successful arts organizations and artists, entrepreneurial businesses and their leaders excel at taking risks, fitting complex pieces together, making the most of chance events and scarce resources, and finding new solutions for old problems. The arts community meshes with Madison's commercial arena, but it is not strictly business. This entertaining, inspiring, energizing public realm encompasses concert halls and boardrooms, dance studios and coffee shop galleries. Personal satisfaction is one of its many alternative forms of currency. Individuals who participate in the arts community as audience members, students, donors, volunteers, or trustees gain fresh ideas, new skills, opportunities for self-expression or pleasure in serving others. Some argue that a culturally stimulating atmosphere attracts business investment and a creative workforce. Perhaps, but the arts community offers an even more direct benefit to business enterprise in Madison area: Step through any one of the arts community's bright, inviting doors, and you can start making a wide range of connections that are elusive in the focused context of day-to-day work. At times, these personal connections blossom into enduring - and profitable - partnerships. Whether that happens or not, each new connection represents a small, strong stitch in our social fabric. These links between individuals and across organizations have tremendous value, even if they don't show up on financial statements. As you plan for the year ahead, set aside some time to explore Madison's arts community. Discover firsthand what this fast-growing asset is worth to you - and your business. Melita Schuessler is a freelance writer and a trustee of the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art. madison.com ©2009 Capital Newspapers. All rights reserved. |
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