Is More Always Better?

A fantastic national advocacy organization, Americans for the Arts, has a campaign titled “The Arts: Ask For More.”  TV spots show kids who are ‘hungry’ for cultural sustenance, and who are fed by “Raisin Brahms” and “VanGogh-gurt.”  This made me wonder if more is always better.  More arts and culture is, most certainly, a good thing but the idea of asking for more suggests that these things are in the hands of others.  I don’t necessarily believe that to be true.  

I’m a dyed in the wool liberal and believe that government should support arts and culture.  Every penny that we, as a community, can commit to supporting arts and culture should be lauded.  The problem arises when our commitment to economic support has management costs that are too high, when the use of those funds are out of step with the needs of the community, and when a small percentage of economically advantaged people benefit most from the support.  Worse still is the feeling that any meaningful dialog about alternative models for managing these existing funds is not acceptable.  More is not always the answer.  Sometimes, utilizing existing resources more effectively can result in ‘more.’

Funding is not the only issue.  There are municipal statutes and policies that limit the natural development of arts and culture.  Did you know, for example, that it is illegal for book stores, art galleries, and most other retail businesses to provide live music of any kind in Long Beach?  Municipal zoning rules control what activities can take place in a given space, and the rules are quite strict.  With few exceptions, only restaurants and bars are allowed to provide live music.  

Worse still is that enforcement of these rules is quite lax, and arbitrary.  Instead of changing the laws to reflect the needs of the community, or enforcing them across the board, the City retains these rules and only enforces them when complaints arise.  This creates an atmosphere of fear and anxiety for those business owners who, in breach of the law, provide live music in their retail spaces.  

I really believe that the City’s leaders need to seize the reins and actually lead.  Let’s discover, together, the rich and wonderful cultural resources beyond those currently supported by municipal funds, and find creative ways to encourage and nurture their development.  This may involve funding, but it may, instead, involve simply stepping out of the way.  

Let us encourage our elected municipal leaders to reexamine our current model of municipal support for the arts, to look to other cities like Seattle, San Diego, Austin, Pasadena, and even Los Angeles for new models, and find what works best for us in the 21st Century.