Last week was a fairly busy one in the arts community, or at least it seemed so in my world. Or maybe I just talked to more people than usual in the arts world last week. In any case, there were two themes that people wanted to talk about.
Mostly people wanted to talk about how great a place Chattanooga is for an artist. I spoke with a filmmaker/photographer who had moved from Los Angeles to raise her son here. She chose here primarily because of the vibrant, welcoming arts community.
Everything she needs to do her work is here, and she loves the positive attitude she feels here.
Over the next couple of days, I ran into some of the more well-known movers and shakers in town. These are folks who run the bigger arts nonprofits and they, to a person, wondered where the money is going to come from in the future.
Chattanooga seems to have done a 180 when it comes to certain aspects of the arts. In the past, we had a very few people providing large amounts of cash to make sure Chattanooga had symphonies, ballets, museums and venues to showcase them.
Many of those folks have either moved or died, and there doesn't appear to be anyone to take their place. Our city and county governments love touting the arts as reasons to relocate here but give mostly lip service to them.
More troubling is the laughably little amount provided to our schools for arts. Study after study shows that art in schools does everything from raise scores to alleviate truancy and other problems. Kids who are exposed to the arts learn to think, they learn to express themselves and they are healthier and happier. It's so simple even a politician can figure it out.
It will be worth watching to see if the many people who truly love the arts will be able to provide the needed financial support it takes to keep them.
• Melanie Young, daughter of "The Purple Lady" Sonia Young and the late Mel Young, is now hosting an Internet radio show.
"The Empower Hour With Host Melanie Young" is live on Mondays at 9 p.m. on the Women 4 Women Network at www.w4wn.com and www.iheart.com.
A breast cancer survivor, author and motivational speaker, Young offers her own insights on surviving the disease and has special guests who discuss everything from health and fitness to books to business.
Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfree press.com or 423-757-6354.