October is Arts Month - Obama says so!

So today Obama declared October National Arts and Humanities month. Which is great. Not sure what it means in the long run but I love that we have a president that would do something like that and on the same day he gets the Nobel Peace Prize and we crash into the moon....but those are other topics.

This blog is for arts!

Here's the link to the full proclamation: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Presidential-Proclamation-National-Arts-and-Humanities-Month-2009/

Here are my favorite quotes:

--- "the power of the arts and humanities to move people has built bridges and enriched lives, bringing individuals and communities together through the resonance of creative expression."

DUDE - he stole our mission! seriously we put that out in the spring....I think Obama's onto us!

--- "The arts and humanities contribute to the vibrancy of our society and the strength of our democracy, and during National Arts and Humanities Month, we recommit ourselves to ensuring all Americans can access and enjoy them"

AGAIN - this is what we are trying to do! only not just for one month... that's our goal! I feel like I should just print this out and hand it to every artist who works with us

---"In neighborhoods and communities across the Nation, the arts and humanities lie at the center of revitalization, inspiring creativity, ideas, and new hope in areas that have gone too long without it."

YES YES YES! Wonder if Obama would be on our board...or maybe the writer who wrote this??

---"Every American deserves an opportunity to study, understand, and contribute to the arts and humanities. This must begin in our schools, where children may have their first and most important exposure to these disciplines. Working on their own masterpieces and finding inspiration in the work of others, young people are opened to new means of expression that sharpen their creative faculties. An education in music, dance, drama, design, and fine art reinforces skills in fields like math and science, and it can help students reach their full potential. In an ever-changing world, we must prepare our students with the knowledge, creative skills, and an ability to innovate so they can compete and succeed on a global stage."

I AM ACTUALLY TEARING UP....this is exactly what I think, feel, believe with my entire being.

Now I ask -- how do we keep going? How do we accomplish this? Wrestled with a lot of questions this past month. Things like are we doing enough? Are we doing the right show? Will we be able to create something they want to watch? Will we be seen in the right light?

And the only thing that keeps coming back to me is that ...we're doing something and quite honestly that's the only way that things can happen.

And that we went to 13 locations and almost 600 people saw Winter's Tale. Many of whom told me that they either had never seen a play, never seen Shakespeare or it's been a long time since they just saw anything.

That's what makes me know that we have to keep going.
That and Obama thinks we should too.
He called.
That's what he said.
Then he had to go accept his award.