2024 THRIVE | Arts & Culture throughout Whatcom County
Hello neighbors,
Imagine if we lived in a place without culture, without the arts — without the people, places and events that make us, us. No Deming Logging Show, No SeaFeast or Lummi Stommish or, wait; no…NW Washington Fair? No Mt. Baker Theatre, Jansen Art Center, Pickford Film Center or Whatcom Museum? No second-grade art projects, high school musicals, city murals or history tours; no WWU sculptures or BAAY shows, or Stringband Jamborees? No Blaine Jazz, Whatcom Reads or Sue C. Boynton Poetry Contest …no dance, no symphony, no open mics, standup comedy or striking non sign at the border crossing? Nope, no way, no sir. Impossible to imagine!
There’s a reason the other phrase for arts and culture is “the humanities.” They are what make us human. They are the difference between surviving and thriving. As a reminder: “Everyone here thrives.” That’s our vision.
Let’s get to it!
Mauri Ingram,
President & CEO
COMMUNITY CHALLENGE
When Arts and Culture take a back seat to human services.
No question about it, when people need food, homes, childcare, medicine and more, “the arts” fall by the wayside. And since the pandemic, human services like these have been at the forefront in the face of undeniable need. And yet, art saves people. Some might even say that the most difficult times are when the arts matter most.
Arts and culture are an economic driver, a balm for the soul, a means of connection and shared experience, a source of pride, healing and identity. These things matter immensely to the overall health and vitality of our community.
The good news: attendance for all kinds of events and venues is up. Across the county, revenues for cultural nonprofits are up by 33% (Creative Vitality Snapshot of the Arts, 2022). Whatcom Art Guild is expanding to the space next to the Whatcom Art Market in Fairhaven to open the Whatcom Art Center. Allied Arts of Whatcom County, which counts some 70 registered arts organizations in its sphere, is moving to a larger space, and new galleries, a ceramics studio and youth art programs have popped up this year, along with two art therapy programs, several groups that operate purely as volunteers- including at least six devoted to poetry!
Less good: costs have risen dramatically, and local organizations are struggling to make ends meet. Add to that: volunteer crews that disappeared during the pandemic have yet to reach pre-pandemic levels; many organizations are struggling to rebuild their volunteer forces, especially those with technology skills. Grants are highly competitive.
While local government does what it can (e.g., 1% for art) the fact is the Whatcom Community Foundation is one of the few local organizations that funds arts and culture. As generalists, it’s part of our job to balance the priorities of the community, which includes a rich and varied cultural landscape. Continued philanthropic support is essential to sustaining the fantastic events and institutions we already have, not to mention fostering new ideas or expanding programs.
“The work our local artists and arts organizations do helps define who we are. It feeds our spirit and helps us see each other. There’s nothing more essential to communities than that.”
— Phyllis Self,
long-time supporter and advocate of the arts
WHAT WE’RE DOING
- Making grants – most recently, Health and Wellness Grants went to nine arts and culture-related organizations, while 12 Whatcom arts and culture projects received Project Neighborly grants this year.
- Represented our arts community when the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation reached out to help inform their arts funding. Twenty-seven Whatcom County organizations received funds!
- Building the Whatcom Arts and Culture Fund. The Whatcom Arts & Culture Fund is a dedicated philanthropic initiative created to support and elevate the vibrant artistic and cultural landscape of Whatcom County. This fund aims to nurture creativity, foster community engagement and preserve the rich heritage of local arts through grants.
- The Community Foundation holds endowed funds for the Mount Baker Theatre, Bellingham Symphony Orchestra, Bellingham Festival of Music, The Whatcom Museum and Bellingham Chamber Chorale. These permanent funds generate precious unrestricted support every year.
- Working with donors to establish funds focused on the arts, including this inspiring idea for public works of art.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
- Go! Get out! Join! Attend! Buy tickets, get the membership, take the class, read the book!
- Give local cultural experiences and/or support local artists at the Holiday Festival of the Arts, or the Whatcom Art Market.
- Businesses: Consider sponsoring a show at one of the county’s nine independent performing arts/theater spaces.
- Give to your favorite arts organization.
- Give to the Whatcom Arts & Culture Fund.
- Start a fund for your favorite local arts/culture cause or organization.
- Share your idea for whimsical art in public spaces around the county.
- Give to one of the arts-related endowments held at the Whatcom Community Foundation.
- Put the phone down and make some art – by yourself, with a friend, with a kid. Color, paint, knit, write…
DEEPER DIVE:
Health and Wellbeing
National Institutes of Health: A wide-ranging review of evidence regarding the role of the arts in improving health
The Mayo Clinic: “The intersection of art and health: How art can help promote wellbeing.”
Social Cohesion/Community Building
Americans for the Arts: Arts and Social Impact Fact Sheet
The Knight Foundation: Arts Bind People to Place and to Each Other
National Endowment for the Arts: New Report Examines the Role of Arts and Culture in Fostering Social Cohesion and Community Wellbeing
By the Numbers
Why the Arts Matter in WA State (2024)
Creative Vitality Snapshots for Bellingham and Whatcom County (2022)
Arts, Culture and Whatcom County Economy (2013)
The Economic Impact of Nonprofit Arts and Culture Organizations and Their Audiences in Whatcom County, WA (2010)
View the THRIVE Newsletter as e-mailed on 10/24/2024 HERE
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