Why the Arts Matter

Dime Stories

What impact do the arts have on our communities? Why is it so important to foster artistic creation, diversity, and recognition?

There are questions I’ll be diving into today as we prepare for the annual US Bank Celebration of the Arts. Held every year at the Kentucky Museum, this show brings together works from amateur and professional artists within 65 miles of Bowling Green in order to celebrate and recognize the diverse talent of our region. Each year, one work is selected for the Purchase Award, receiving a coveted place in our permanent collection. In the next few episodes, we’ll be talking with past purchase award winners Leslie Nichols and Yvonne Petkus to discuss their work and the impact of winning the Purchase Award.

But that award isn’t the only reason that the arts are important. Rather, the arts have immense social and economic impacts on our community. As President and CEO of Americans for the Arts, Robert L. Lynch, stated in 2019, “Whether it is health, education, economy, or faith, the arts improve our communities and our lives, and they lend themselves to practical, solution-oriented philosophies to bind us socially and improve the world in which we live.”

But in a world driven by data, such statements often get lost. So, where’s the data?

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