The Arts in Virginia

by Carlton Hardy, the "Father" of the arts and culture license plate (Virginians for the Arts), board member of the Cultural Alliance and the Peninsula Fine Arts Center, and a tireless advocate for arts and cultural organizations

Every $1 million in arts revenue generates receipts for Virginia businesses of $2 million, value-added of $1 million, labor compensation of $700,000 and employment for 45 people.

Hundreds of arts organizations contribute to the overall economic health of their communities. These organizations enrich the lives of Virginians with concerts, dance performances, art exhibitions and plays. Virtually all have educational programs tailored for young people, which support the Standards of Learning.

Virginia’s arts are the lowest funded among all its neighboring states. Virginia Commission for the Arts at funding today (80 cents per capita) is slightly less than it was in 1990 (87 cents per capita). Mr. Hardy’s article also discusses possible funding sources.

The arts tell us who we are and how we fit into the world--who we are as a people, from where we came and where we’re headed, what is important and why it’s important. It is the way we pass our values and mores, norms, customs and taboos from one generation to the next.

The opinion piece was published in the Jan/Feb 08 issue of Bravo! and reprinted in the Virginia Gazette in Spring 2008. Download the full article HERE.