Arts | Tell Hetrick

October is Arts & Humanities Month, which means 31 days of thinking, reading, talking and listening—through which we can all create a stronger, more vibrant community. Here are five must-dos on my personal list:

IDADA (Indianapolis Downtown Arts and Dealers Association) First Friday tour. There’s no better way to spend a Friday night in Indy than to wander from gallery to studio to performance space. Start at our place—the Meredith Nicholson Home (1500 N. Delaware St.)—for a discussion about how schools can serve as catalysts for urban renewal.

Wallow in your Hoosier-ness. Indiana authors, artists, musicians and poets will showcase their talents at An Evening in Brown County on Sunday, Oct. 11. I’m looking forward to Hoosier wine and beer, plus tapas made from locally grown food. here.

Travel back in time. I’ll explore the religious and visual culture of 17th-century Spain and Latin America–for free. Sacred Spain: Art and Belief in the Spanish World, opens Oct. 11 at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. It features 80 works of art, including the legendary Crown of the Andes, an actual crown set with 450 emeralds.

Start a book club. If you’re like me and haven’t joined or started a club yet, it’s time. The Indiana Humanities Council will even lend you the books, for free.

Take a road trip. I’m planning to take advantage of the great weather and scenery that October offers and head north, south, east and west, knowing that wherever I go I’ll find a great museum or Hoosier landmark.

Check out the Indiana Humanities Council for a full 31-day guide to humanities events around Indiana.

My favorite season is fast approaching. I love the competition. The high stakes. The last-minute decision-making. I’m talking, of course, about budget season. (What season were you thinking?!)

The debate beginning in August over Indianapolis’ next municipal budget will be intriguing. No doubt, public safety will be priority one, as it should be. But funding for arts programs should not be far behind.

With cities across America facing major fiscal challenges, how can arts funding even be a consideration, let alone a priority? Simple economics.

In a world where smart, talented individuals are placing a higher priority on location rather than job, we need to continue to build Indy’s reputation as a hub for arts and culture. As policy-makers focus on leveraging Central Indiana’s strong cluster of health care and life sciences assets to position our region as a global player, we must keep in mind that the arts could be a deciding factor for that young med school grad looking for a culturally rich community where he or she can settle in and make a difference.

This argument is more than anecdotal. Numbers back up the fact that the arts are becoming a major economic driver (check out this economic impact study that, among other things, shows the arts bring a half-billion dollars into the local economy).

So, fellow bloggers, do you think our elected officials should make arts funding a priority?