Working in the arts you quickly learn two things: You meet some incredible people who see the world differently, and you can never really sit still. So it was no surprise that this summer Spokane Poet Laureate Mery Smith and I found ourselves meandering through the park talking about poetry. A great excuse to avoid sitting at our desks for the afternoon.
Among the trees and flowers, she shared with me that many young people interested in poetry find themselves leaving Spokane. "Young artists are leaving because they don't see themselves being nurtured by their community."
When pressed a bit more on this, she simply said, "If we want to prevent an artistic erosion — like what happened in the 1990s in Spokane, when young folks left for other more vibrant places — we need to do something."
Since taking on my new role as executive director with Spokane Arts, I can tell you that we are hard at work to address this. Our ultimate goal is to transform our community into a place where, for example, an artist can retire comfortably. Supporting artists goes beyond buying their work or purchasing a ticket for a performance. If we want to continue to have a vibrant and culturally rich community, we must move beyond interacting with artists only through a transactional relationship and begin thinking about the fertilizing other sectors of our economy enjoy.
According to the Washington Department of Commerce, the creative economy brings in $120 billion annually and makes up almost 20% of the state's GDP. Washington leads the nation in cultivating an economy that ultimately leads to sustainable growth and better quality of life for its residents and visitors. And while this is a great talking point for business leaders and elected officials, the perception is quite different when you ask artists in our community.
We see targeted investments being made in other sectors of our economy, and if we truly believe that we all belong in Spokane, we must not forget the integral role our artists play in making our city one of the best places to live in the country. We can work together and begin a plan of targeted investments in our regional creative economy.
At Spokane Arts, we're focusing on three things: investing in people, investing in the creative economy, and telling our story accurately and respectfully. We're investing in people by connecting artists directly to financial services and exploring ways to provide health care. We're working with developers to provide vocational housing and makerspaces across the city so every neighborhood can have direct access and participation with the arts and creative enterprises. We are building strategies to directly serve artists by ensuring our SAGA grant program awards continue to be in line with the rising cost of living, and developing a robust fiscal sponsorship program so artists and arts organizations can amplify their funding. And we're spreading the seeds given to us by the storytellers and keepers of wisdom in our community because it matters for these stories and values to be passed on to the next generation.
"...we must not forget the integral role our artists play in making our city one of the best places to live in the country."
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The true test of culture-making is to plant the seeds of trees whose shade we will never enjoy. It's no accident that an art gallery — the Jim Chase Gallery — sits just outside the City Council Chambers at City Hall. I think it reminds us and our leaders that there's more at stake than politics when decisions are being made. Beyond the endless tug-of-war we are experiencing in our country between left and right, red and blue, right and wrong, there is another way of thinking and being. The arts offer that to us all every day. Creative folks have the unique ability to help us see beyond the day-to-day grind of spreadsheets and yard work and traffic; they can point us toward the deeper truths and values of who we are. Either we as a community begin to genuinely invest in our artists and the creative ecosystem or admit that we don't see value in it.
As we celebrate the Spokane Arts Month in October, be sure to buy a painting at Terrain and see a show at the Spokane Civic Theatre. The arts schedule is filled with ways to connect with our local artists, so keep showing up because it matters. It will take all of us to nurture and value our artists.
We have an opportunity to do some serious planting in our arts ecosystem, and as long as I'm at the helm of Spokane Arts, we will continue to be out in the fields, trowels in hand and dirt under our nails to make it happen. It's time we begin the work together. Pick up a shovel. We need you. ♦
Skyler Oberst is the executive director of Spokane Arts, which hosts its annual Arts Awards Gala on Saturday, Sept. 21, featuring live music, performances, poetry and the presentation of the 2024 Arts Awards. The event runs from 6-9:30 pm at Hamilton Studios, 1427 W. Dean Ave.; for tickets and to learn more, visit spokanearts.org.
