Money from the (City) Gov'ment (or "Your Public Dollars at Work!")

Today, I received my first payment from the City of Seattle for my latest project, the details of which I will be announcing later this week. I've been working on the writing non-stop since I got word that my project had been awarded funding. So it's nice to reach my first "payday."

Along with congratulations (for which I am very thankful), one of the reactions that I've been getting pretty consistently to the news of my funding has been a variation of "I'm surprised that they're still giving money to the arts during this economic crisis." Sometimes, the tone suggests mild disapproval at the flip-flopped priorities of spending money on the arts when the City's budget is in serious crisis. This is an understandable reaction, but also contains an unfair and, ultimately, inaccurate representation of arts funding as frivolous.

When used judiciously, arts funding can be a meaningful and wide-reaching economic stimulus. Let's crunch the numbers together.

The total funding for individual artist projects from the City this year is $225,000. That comes to about 45-cents each from every Seattle resident. Most of the program funding comes from taxes on admissions to events, so that breakdown isn't exactly accurate, but you get the picture. The budget shortfall for the City is somewhere around $50 million, from what I've read. $225K isn't exactly going to keep the Libraries open, or make a dent in the Transit budget gap.

What it will do is help 39 artists realize their work that wouldn't otherwise be able to make it happen.

But why should we support those 39 people, you ask? Putting aside for the moment, the fact that all of us are working to earn that money, just as hard as someone working for a paycheck from a private corporation (or from a government agency, non-profit or whathaveyou), for most of the artists being funded, almost all of that money will go right back into their project. For me, that means employing 12 musicians, 1 recording engineer, 1 sound engineer, and 1 graphic designer. I will put money back directly into the economy through publicity, the performance venue, a handful of small and large companies for supplies, and whatever else comes up in the course of the next few months. Additionally, I will be opening up some of the rehearsals to local school music programs. Oh yeah, and there will be a concert for the public to attend for between $5-15 sliding scale.

And that's just my project, which is funded with less than 1-cent for each person in the City of Seattle. I'm sure all of the other funded projects will be "trickling down" just as much, if not more.

You can read more about everyone's project here:

http://www.seattle.gov/arts/funding/individual_partners.asp

Don't get me wrong - I am grateful for the existence of this program and honored to have been selected for funding. I don't feel in any way entitled to support from the government for my work. But even if I wasn't a recipient of these specific public dollars, I would still fight all day long for the continued existence of programs just like it and for the continued wisdom and graciousness of direct public support of the arts and artists in general.

Artists and entertainers have always relied on public and private money to support their work. Believing that the arts and artists should just "get by" on their own, and that it makes no difference to the lives of the public providing the funding, is just plain silly. Unless you have been living inside of the Meridian 16 theater downtown or in your basement watching HBO, you have almost certainly enjoyed many works of art that have been supported by public funding (in part or completely). Whether we're talking about Sesame Street, independent films (any foreign film, especially from Europe or Canada), NEA recipients, venerable institutions like the Symphony or the Opera, museums of all sizes - without public funding, the world of art in this City (not to mention State, Country and Planet Earth) would be a vastly different place. It is one of the most direct ways that a relatively small contribution can have a big impact on so many people.

Finally, if we are going to start jockeying over who is to receive the support of public money, let's open it up, shall we? Maybe we can consider how much of a dent in the budget gaps of our cities and states might be made by the reduction or elimination of infrastructure projects, incentives and all other forms of public support given directly to professional sports, multi-national corporations, or private media companies.

Personally, I think you'll get more for your public dollar from me and my colleagues.

So, to all of the City of Seattle - thanks for your support, even if you didn't know you were giving it. It is going to a very good cause and I promise to make the most of this opportunity.