Saturday, November 29, 2008
Help keep Roanoke's cultural assets alive
From the RoundTable blog
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George C. Anderson
Anderson, of Roanoke, is the senior minister of Second Presbyterian Church and is on the board of Mill Mountain Theatre.
What an amazing valley! When I moved to Roanoke in 1998, I was amazed at the vitality of the downtown. For its size, Roanoke is unbelievably fortunate to have such a wonderful theater, symphony, opera, ballet and art museum; and all located downtown. The high number of good, unique restaurants is jaw-dropping.
Our downtown is a draw for visitors and helps make Roanoke an attractive place to live, work and raise a family.
Will it stay that way? The economy is struggling and my primary worry is for those hurt most in hard times. A secondary, but still critical, concern for me is the arts organizations. Some are facing hard choices in order to adapt and survive at a time when donor dollars and ticket sales are harder to come by.
One might think that arts organizations are luxuries and nothing essential would be lost if any one of them ceased to be. I don't think that way. I think that Roanoke's future depends on these demographics: educated professionals, retirees and those involved in various educational institutions.
Certainly, those who make up these demographics value the beauty of the valley, safe neighborhoods and strong faith communities, good schools, convenience of airport and interstate, and an excellent health care system. But also high on their list is a vibrant cultural life.
And then there are the visitors. Take a map and draw a line designating an area where Roanoke is closer than other cities with comparable cultural offerings to find counties and towns for which Roanoke would be a prime destination for an evening or weekend away. In a distressed economy, regional arts could do even better as people decide to enjoy weekend excursions closer to home -- but that depends on marketing.
Here is how the economic engine cranks through the cultural organizations: An evening at the theater or other performing arts event often is linked to a visit to a museum, meals at our restaurants, shopping in our stores, buying our art and spending evenings in our hotels and motels.
Visitors come to visit friends or family, hike on our trails, bring children to sporting events, or they simply have heard that Roanoke has the charm of a small town and the options of a big city. Some who visit even consider moving here. Everything is linked, and Roanoke becomes known for its cultural package rather than its parts.
If one major arts organization ceases to exist, negative aftershocks are experienced by every other interconnected part. The loss would be difficult to reverse. Restarting an arts organization is far more expensive and difficult than keeping one going.
Hopefully, Roanoke will ride out these tougher economic times in a good way. I don't know what Roanoke will look like on the other side of the downturn, but I certainly hope it will be a city with a brighter future than the past, largely because of the vitality of its downtown and arts organizations.
What can you do to help that happen? Here are some ideas:
n Buy tickets and donate, and get businesses to do the same. Follow your passion and become a season ticket holder in the organization you most love.
n Buy tickets or ticket vouchers as Christmas and birthday gifts or as welcome gifts (Welcome to Roanoke/my neighborhood/my family).
n Spread the word about what our arts organizations have to offer.
n Given a choice between something broadcast into your home and something local and live, choose local and live often enough to help keep the local scene lively.
n Given a choice between movies and local theater, choose local theater often enough to help ensure the unique drama of Roanoke.
n Given a choice between chain restaurants and unique eateries, choose unique eateries often enough to help ensure the unique flavor of Roanoke.
n Finally, encourage any efforts by city council or the chamber of commerce to promote and package what our city has to offer.
Let's make sure our arts organizations remain cherished possessions rather than become cherished memories.
