Resolution: Get out there!
Toolbox
By Steven Pappas Times Argus Staff - Published: January 2, 2009
As we usher another year to the door, instinctively we all seem to do that inevitable annual self-evaluation that somehow, albeit briefly, makes us eager to take advantage of a new beginning.
Often it's a painful inventory, generating feelings of not doing enough, not feeling fulfilled, discovering shortcomings — and even pinpointing downright failures.
No one wants to leave such a list unresolved.
Nor should we.
While most New Year's resolutions fall short because the grind of simply maintaining our lives often displaces new ideas crammed into our busy routines, we look ahead and set goals.
Rather than the usual suspects — get fit, lose weight, drink less, quit smoking, help others, get out of debt, get organized — why not let the arts shape your new year? Here are 10 things that will allow you to spend more time with family and friends in 2009, as well as enjoy life more.
1. Go see a play. Throughout the year, venues around central Vermont have outstanding offerings, ranging from professional acting troupes to community theater to high school productions. Don't just attend a show; allow yourself to be transported. Consider the dialogue, sets, lighting — all of the aspects that go into producing a stage performance.
2. Go to a concert or performance. Everyone loves a good show. This region has countless performances and concerts — whether they are held in a large venue like the Barre Opera House or the Chandler, or in smaller venues such as nightclubs or even churches. On any given night, something is going on within a short drive of wherever you are right now. Get out and take in the music, whether it's the symphony, jazz, cabaret, folk, gospel or rock 'n' roll. After all, music is a living thing that can evoke a range of emotions. It is a powerful, rich medium. Likewise, get tickets for a show, whether it's dance or magic or another form of performance art. Try seeing something you never thought about experiencing before. Expand your horizon.
3. Involve children. The earlier you get young people into a theater or to a gallery, the more likely these children are to grow up appreciating the arts. When you consider a venue's schedule, keep your children in mind. When places offer arts camps or workshops, sign up the kids. Consider it an investment in the future. And visit these places often.
4. Visit a museum. Knowledge really is power, and a museum is an easy way to immerse yourself and others in a subject. Don't be afraid to travel a little. Make a day out of a museum visit, and give yourself and the people with you plenty of time to talk about what you saw and learned. Go to a different museum every month, but be sure to check in with old favorites that might have rotating exhibits throughout the year. Again, try a museum you had never considered before.
5. Go to a gallery. Talk about being transported — paintings, photographs, sculpture and fiber arts are forms of expression that define an artist. They can take you to a time or place. Take the time to visit down-the-alley, hole-in-the-wall galleries, as well as the biggies replete with the work of the masters themselves. Explore the art. Try to see beyond the image or presentation. Don't necessarily try to understand the art, but appreciate it and the effort that went into it. And if you like a certain artist or kind of art, make notes, do research and find more of the same.
6. Be sure everyone in your family has library cards — and uses them. And when you do find something you've seen in your arts travels that interests you, where better to find out more about it than the library? Make weekly trips. Make it a habit, for books become an extension of what we know — and want to know. And nowadays, libraries offer more than just books. You can enjoy videos and DVDs — for free unless you are late bringing them back. At a minimum, when the kids are getting on each others' nerves — or yours — pack them up and take them to the library.
7. Become a member of a local arts group. Join. Support the arts. It's just that simple. Most of these venues — arts centers, performance halls, museums, and the like — are working on shoestring budgets, mostly with a small staff and the support of a cadre of devoted volunteers. Buying tickets is a significant show of support, of course. But becoming a member shows a long-term commitment of support and, in most cases, membership truly has its benefits, including discounts, advance ticket sales, private showings, newsletters and more. It, too, is an investment in the future and often is tax deductible.
8. Volunteer. After you become a member, help in whatever way you can, whether it's being an usher, helping in the administrative office, working on raising money or the like. That way, you are supporting the arts and giving back to the community.
9. Take a class. Allow an artist or musician to pass on what they know, so that you, too, can become part of the art you have come to enjoy. Be excited about what you have seen or learned. Let the arts define you, even if it is in a small way. Who knows? It might change your life.
10. Appreciate. The arts teach us to live and feel alive. They carry our spirit and expand our soul. They make life richer. And fulfilling.
Who could ask for more? Maine-born professor and theologian Oscar Remick served on the board of directors of an aging New England theater. After serving a lifetime combining religion and education, Remick returned to Maine, making every push he could to support the arts and local nonprofits.
His effort was historic.
While serving as president emeritus at Westminster College in Pennsylvania, Remick wrote a paper that was distributed widely throughout the national arts community. In it, Remick explored the arts and its role along Main Street, America. Many of his conclusions were reflected in the ongoing struggle facing the New England arts community, which was one of the reasons he said he became so involved again at the local level.
Today, Remick is considered a visionary for its future.
We "must begin at once the development of understanding attitudes, and policies of public and private support that will assure the quality and accessibility of the arts and thereby their contributions to the richness of civil life."
Remick concluded that the arts were the sign of "our enduring democracy, the foundation of not only our economy but of the American way — at its best."
Today's arts supporters are the region's dreamers and stewards. This region's vast arts community has provided local pride for decades. It is up to all of us to keep that pride going by resolving to support the arts as best we can now and forever.
Contact Steven Pappas at steven.pappas@timesargus.com.
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