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At a recent Giving+Together event, art leaders addressed the economic and cultural benefits of the arts in our lives.

By Chris Garner, Communications Specialist

Art is a crucial part of our everyday lives.

It's one of the things that ties us to the future, and the past, evoking memories and imagining what tomorrow could bring. Be it visual, music or written word, art is in us and all around us.

To discuss the importance of art in society, the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation recently gathered a panel of leaders in the art community at a recent Giving+Together event at Interact Gallery.

The panel of artists and nonprofit leaders, moderated by Program Officer Sharon DeMark, shared their insights with fundholders on what everyone can do to make sure arts programming continues to have a lasting impact in our communities.

Speakers included:

Sarah Bellamy - President at Penumbra Theatre
John Davis - Executive Director Emeritus of Warroad RiverPlace
Mary Anne Ligeralde Quiroz – Co-founder and Executive Director of Indigenous Roots

The panelists discussed the impact of arts and culture, emphasizing the importance of community, cultural roots, sharing experiences and supporting funding for the arts.

Arts Impact on Community Vitality

Sarah Bellamy, president at Penumbra Theatre, highlighted Penumbra’s evolution from a nonprofit theatre to a place for racial healing. She also spoke about the idea of reciprocity when it comes to support and resources in the arts community.

“We know that when we get into environments where the arts are either over policed or undercapitalized, and that doesn't necessarily mean funding, that can just mean there's no place for them to be, that society stops innovating, it stops dreaming, it stops growing.”

Sarah Bellamy, President at Penumbra Theatre

John Davis, Executive Director Emeritus of Warroad RiverPlace

Making the Arts Matter in Small Communities

Executive Director Emeritus of Warroad RiverPlace, John Davis underscored the value of cultural representation in the arts. He followed by discussing the importance of investing in the arts so that they can have long-term impacts on the community – something our recent article on the arts and culture center explores in more detail.

“Sometimes small-town folks don't want to talk about the arts," John said. "They want to talk about jobs, education and businesses on Main Street. And when your arts programs draw positive attention and publicity to your community, that means jobs, economic development and more people moving into your community.”

The Value of Cultural Guidance in the Arts

Adding to the conversation, Mary Anne Ligeralde Quiroz, co-founder and executive director of Indigenous Roots, addressed how she and her organization have adapted to new challenges. She shared her thoughts on the importance of community, cultural identity and roots play in her work.

"When people ask, ‘How are you navigating through these times?’ I say the same way we've always navigated through. We utilize our elders as our roadmap, sharing rich stories of experience that sustain us.”

Mary Anne Ligeralde Quiroz, Co-founder and Executive Director of Indigenous Roots

“So much of what we know about the earliest human history is because of the art they left behind: the prints they left on cave walls, the mosaics that were buried under layers of Earth. It is art that informs humans thousands of years later about what that culture was like, what was important to them, what stories they wanted to be told, and reverberated through the centuries.” - Foundation fundholder Patrick

“When I listened today to the woman from Indigenous Roots talk about the value of elders, I begin to make comparisons to meetings in my own community. Often, it's like, ‘oh, those old people should just get out of the way, because we are creating this new thing.’ But in my experience, we should be listening to them and collaborating to establish change.” -Foundation fundholder Bethany

Donors Patrick and Bethany at the Giving Together event

Foundation fundholders Patrick and Bethany

As communications specialist, Chris Garner supports the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation’s work by highlighting it to the community through words, photo, video and other media. Chris has a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Alabama State University and a Master of Science in Journalism from Northwestern University.

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