We need a mayor who supports an increase in funding the arts from 0.17% to at least 1% of the overall budget.
Cynthia C. Harris, Guest Columnist | June 13, 2023
- Cynthia C. Harris of Actors Bridge Ensemble is co-chair of the Arts Equity Mayoral Candidate Forum.
Growing up in Nashville, my first experience with the arts was through ballet with Dancearts Centre directed by Ms. Peggy Williams. She exposed hundreds of African American girls from a range of economic experiences to ballet for over 30 years. I first learned with Ms. Williams in a house, and later in a building on Buchanan that still stands today.
I’ve been thinking about those classes and Ms. Williams a lot lately. North Nashville has always been filled with professionals dedicated to sharing their creative gifts with future generations. These have often been labors of love, often maintained with personal finances and the small fees collected from families. They offered arts programs and education through their connections to local schools, churches, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). They were fixtures in our community and generations of young people benefited.
I recently found a program from our recital in 1982. I see names of then girls, now women whom I admire and respect. I see accomplished women representing a number of professions, parents, clergy, and leaders. I am reminded of the deep necessity of resources, spaces, and infrastructure when it comes to making art in community.
The arts create the fabric of our community
This summer I’ll co-lead Actors Bridge Ensemble’s Act Like a Grrrl program where we serve about 12 female identifying students ages 12-18, like we have each summer for the past 19 years. We are sometimes overlooked for grant funding because our numbers are small. We keep our program small because we want each young person to have all the attention and support needed to come to voice during our time together.
After working primarily in the public health field for 20 years while writing and performing on the side, I moved my passion for theater front and center this year. I’ll continue consulting with local arts organizations, performing, building community, and creating plays. Still I worry about how plausible it is to sustain myself long term as a theater artist.
The future of the arts in Nashville matters deeply to me. I am clear that we need a mayor who supports an increase in funding the arts from 0.17% to at least 1% of the overall budget. Dallas, Austin, Cleveland, and Phoenix (cities growing at the same rate as Nashville) all have higher arts budgets with greater per capita funding for the arts.
These cities recognize that artists create the fabric of our communities and they all invest substantially more in the arts. They understand something we as Music City and Athens of the South must reflect in our policies. The arts enrich our lives through more than the bottom line, uplifting every aspect of life.
We need representation for the creative class
We need a dedicated funding source for the arts. We need to make sure the funds are distributed equitably so that independent artists, artists of color, and small arts organizations have an opportunity to innovate and thrive.
We also need an infrastructure in place for artists that nurtures and sustains us. We need representation for the creative class in all its vibrant facets, and we need to reinvest in the arts and artists who bring so much real value to Nashville.
Arts and culture are part of our civic rights and are integral to our identity.
Healing Waters Productions 