An article I wrote was recently published in DDCE Central, the University of Texas at Austin Division of Diversity and Community Engagement news blog. I’ve re-posted it here:

Sky-high health care costs. The highest unemployment rate in decades. Homelessness. Food insecurity. A broken education system. Ask anyone, and they will point out a domestic issue the United States has yet to adequately address. And yet, one area may be overlooked. Because of the daunting list of problems encountered by Americans today, arts and culture often take a back seat.

Since art and culture are not social ills to be alleviated, it can be difficult to quantify their impact. Policy makers cannot simply declare that every citizen be inoculated with culture and creativity, thereby eradicating tastelessness district by district. But in all seriousness, the arts do make an impact, and it can be measured.

From an economic standpoint alone, the non-profit arts and culture sector generates 5.7 million jobs annually, according to the blog of Art21, a PBS series dedicated to art education. Arts non-profits also contribute $166.2 billion in economic activity, including $29.6 billion in local, state and federal government revenue. Culturally and educationally speaking, they provide much more. “There are a lot of kids who have a talent, an idiosyncratic passion or something special about them. The arts catch these kids,” said Rocco Landesman, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, in a recent interview.

Historically, the contributions of the arts have been recognized by their inclusion in U.S. development plans. This started in the 1930s, when $35 million of President Franklin Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration went to the Federal Arts Project. In recent decades, however, these funds have been dwindling. According to Art21, only $97.6 million were appropriated for the arts in 2000, a nearly 45% decrease from $171.3 million in 1990.

On the local level, there have also been detours in increasing the public initiatives to support the arts. Despite years of strategic planning, Austin has yet to adopt the Create Austin plan to insure that the most creative elements of the city don’t evaporate before our eyes. Time for the arts has been significantly cut in Austin public schools, which means fewer artists are funded, less arts programming is available, and fewer struggling students get “caught” by the arts, and instead fall through the cracks.

Yet the picture is not all bleak. The research conducted by the DDCE’s Community Engagement Collaborative has uncovered many arts-oriented projects in the community being conducted by University of Texas at Austin faculty and student organizations. There are over a dozen student organizations that address the arts through service. Local arts non-profits benefit from over 720,000 hours of volunteer service from UT-Austin students each year. Although there are never enough resources, these UT projects are finding creative ways to use the arts as a vehicle for social change in the education system.

In the busy spring months ahead, be sure to take advantage of the many opportunities to expand the mind and discover the diverse cultures that comprise our world.

Learn more about the faculty, student organizations and local agencies involved in keeping the arts alive in Austin at http://blogs.utexas.edu/artsandculture. Find out how you can volunteer in the arts and culture arena at http://www.UTvolunteer.org.

For more information on the Community Engagement Collaborative (CEC), call the CEC office at (512)471-6173 or the Volunteer and Service Learning Center (VSLC) office at (512)471-6161, or log onto CEC blogs through www.vslc.org.

Brian Hudson at the Dominican Joe Haiti Benefit

While we have all been moved by the images of destruction in Haiti this week, it can be frustrating to watch helplessly. We want to act, to affect change, to help people pick up their lives.

Right now, as you’ve probably heard, the best way we can help is with money. This will allow aid organizations to allocate funding to the most critical needs: rescue, temporary shelter, potable water, food and medical supplies and personnel.

That being said, there are some creative opportunities for Austinites to make a difference. Some of our local music venues, artists and religious groups are already collaborating to put together benefits for Haiti. At these events, we can come together as a community in solidarity with Haiti and also contribute funds. I will keep an eye out for these endeavors as they come up and continue to post updates. Here are the benefit concerts already in the works:

Relief Jam at Dominican Joe’s
When: Monday, January 18, all day
Benefiting: Makarios International
Featuring: Danny Brooks, Claire Small, Laura Lee, Imhoff, Bridgette Kem, Love at War, Rudy Jane, Brian Hudson, Jimi Lee
Details: http://www.dominicanjoe.com/haiti/

Hope For Haiti Benefit Concert at The Parish
When: Monday, January 18, 6pm doors / 7pm show
Benefiting: Real Hope for Haiti
Featuring: Aaron Ivey, Matt McCloskey, Miranda Dodson, Kevin McKinney, Courrier
Details: http://musicforthecity.org/

Thirst No More Kick-Off Event at Freebirds on South Congress
When: Monday, January 18, 1-4 pm
Benefiting: Thirst No More Primary Assistance Kits (PAKs)
Featuring: live music, free appetizers and soft drinks
Details: http://www.thirstnomore.org/

“One Peace at a Time” Film Screening at the Paramount Theatre
When: Wednesday, January 20 at 7:30pm
Benefiting: Architecture for Humanity rebuilding fund and other groups
Featuring: The film by Austin filmmaker Turk Pipkin
Details: http://www.austintheatre.org/site/Calendar/784907263?view=Detail&id=22581

Help Austin Help Haiti Benefit Concert at the Austin Music Hall
When: Sunday, January 24, time forthcoming
Spearheaded by: Aspleep at the Wheel, Band of Heathens, Bruce Robinson, Charlie Sexton, The Flatlanders, The Gourds, Guy Forsyth, Jack Ingram,  The Joe Ely Band, Kelly Willis, Kinky Friedman, Patricia Vonne, Paula Nelson, Pay Willie Hubbard, Reckless Kelly, Robert Earl Keen, Shawn Colvin
Details: http://www.austinmusichall.com/

The University of Texas at Austin will also be holding a Rally In Solidarity With Haiti on Thursday, January 21, set tentatively for 12-1:00pm, on the West Mall. The university community will gather to grieve and share a moment of silence. There will also be opportunities to donate.

If you can’t make it to a benefits but  you’re still looking for a trustworthy place to send money, I suggest taking a look at CNN‘s has a comprehensive list of links to reputable international aid organizations. It is divided up by what kind of emergency relief the organizations provide. You can find it here.

Contact Info
Advidor: Suzy Moore, staff advisor, suzanne.moore@blantonmuseum.org
Student Leaders:
Dhruti Deshpande, president
Erik Mogck, docent chair
Maria Indelicato volunteer chair
Stacy Kirages, co-volunteer chair
Layne Bell, SAC co-chair
Carolyn Shrake, historian
Email: blantonguild@gmail.com
Website: click here
Facebook Group: click here

What They’re Up To
The Blanton Student Guild is the student organization manages the relationship between the student body and the museum. By throwing social events and promoting volunteer opportunities, they raise campus awareness about the Blanton, get students involved, and produce a new generation of art appreciators.

Blanton Student Guild members become involved on any of three committees – docent, volunteer and special events. Their signature event, a semi-annual party at the Blanton, is an opportunity to get members of the student body to learn more about the Blanton and connect over food, games, music and art activities. [Read more →]

Leading the way for development of the Austin art scene are the designers of CreateAustin, a master plan for the city’s cultural development. I’ve been hearing about the plan from many of the people I’ve interviewed, but was surprised to find out that it hasn’t actually been adopted yet by the City Council. The arts community is now working to implement the peices of the plan one by one instead of waiting around for the entire proposal to be approved.   [Read more →]

Contact Info
Dr. Stephanie Cawthon, Dept. of Educational Psychology
email: stephanie.cawthon@mail.utexas.edu
phone: 512-471-0287
Katie Dawson, Theater and Dance Dept.
email: kathryndawson@mail.utexas.edu
phone: 512-232-5314
website: Drama for Schools

What They Do
Drama for Schools is a dynamic professional development program that focuses on changing the way teachers teach so that they can then engage students in a meaningful way. They reach out to districts to give teachers the tools they need to serve students in a way that activates learning. Their system utilizes kinesthetic activity, collaboration, image work, and identity construction. [Read more →]

Contact Info
Name: Stacy Kirages, president; Jeffrey Smith, advisor
Email: skirages@yahoo.com; chipps@mail.utexas.edu
Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=50771361554

What They Do
UAHA works to get University of Texas at Austin students out of the student bubble and into the Austin art scene. They do this by encouraging student involvement in a wide spectrum of community art events, finding volunteer and internship opportunities at local art organizations, and creating camaraderie between the Art History majors and Studio Art majors. [Read more →]

Contact Info
Name: Lisa Murray
Email: lisarmurray@mail.utexas.edu
Phone: (512) 475-8086
Address: 300 W. 21 St. Austin, TX 78712
Website: http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/

What They Do
The central mission of the Harry Ransom Center is to advance the study of the arts and humanities. To achieve this goal, the HRC collects and preserves original cultural material and makes it accessible to the public through the library and exhibits. [Read more →]

Contact Info
Name: Megan Fullen, Community Relations Manager
Email: megan@theatreactionproject.org
Phone: (512)442-8773
Address: 701 Tillery Street Box 9, Austin, TX 78702
Website: http://www.theatreactionproject.org

What They Do
The Theatre Action Project (TAP) works to create social change in the community by giving students the opportunity to realize their potential through drama. [Read more →]

Contact Info
Name: Sherri Ransom, executive director
Email: info@leapaustin.org
Phone: 512-922-1882
Address: 7901 Cameron Rd. Austin, TX 78752
Website: http://www.leapaustin.org/

What They Do
LEAP is a unique organization that works to bridge the gap between east and south Austin and the arts venues in the city by providing tickets to families to attend arts events. [Read more →]