Jac Alder Applauds Local Artists


director-teacher. These two superbly gifted and dedicated theatre artists have profoundly enriched this city by investing their talents inDallas’ cultural institutions—including Theatre Three,where Iwork. I have a debt of gratitude to both.Givenmy predecessors’ eminence, you can understand that I’mflattered to be asked tomake this year’sArtist’s Statement.


M


Thank you for asking, Joanna—I really like the opportunity you’ve given the oldwhite guy!Rather thanwearmy artist’s chapeau, though, I’d like put onmyArtists’Advocate hat to give this statement.


This advocacy organization, theCoalition,was conceived to focus on finances. Themetrics ofmoney have produced cogent arguments for financial support of our dance,music, visual art and theatrical organiza- tions. “TheArtsMeanBusiness”—one of our slogans—is a damn good argument. It is substantiated by statistical surveys of attendance, earned income, habits of private and public donations and spending patterns— all usefulmarket-placemeasures.


Recent capital investments (made by public and private funds) do attract businesses toDallas.And ifwe can ever get some effective cul- tural tourismgoing, itwill significantly amplify the revenues from Dallas visitors—revenue both for the cultural organizations and for hotels, restaurants, and retail both in theArtsDistrict and beyond—the arts are, after all, in sectors all over this city!


I certainly embrace all themoneymetrics as an argument for arts sup- port—it’s veryAmerican—indeed, it’s veryDallas—to account effective- ness by examining balance sheets.


Whatwe tend to lack, tend to start talking fuzzy about, are enrich- mentswe can’t see on a balance sheet. Providing intellectual, emotional and even spiritual enrichments—are core purposes of any artist and every arts institution.


Forme, then, themetrics ofmoney have a use, but it’s limitedwhen we seek tomeasure effectiveness. Work of artists structure bridges to emotional enlightenment, build context for intellectual discovery, and clarify visions of spiritual awakening—indeed the artist’s task is to light many diverse paths that lead to a common destination; and that desti- nation is a joyous celebration of human life on planet earth. That joy, my friends, is a very real enrichment: it enriches lives of the artists


HATHAWAY ACADEMY OF BALLET


Home of Collin County Ballet Theatre Directors, Kirt & Linda Hathaway


Professional InstructionClassical Ballet Modern, Jazz & Hip-Hop Ages 3 through Adults “Lessons of a Lifetime”


2865 McDermott Road, # 140 • Plano, Texas 75025 972.747.0600 • www.hathawayballet.com


page 12 August 2012 www.thedancecouncil.org


y predecessors giving the annual “Artist’s Statement” on this occasion have beenAkinBabatunde, theAfrican-American actor-director-teacher, thenReneMoreno, theHispanic actor-


themselves and it enriches the lives of those in the communitywe serve.


I get to say this next partwith authority because I’ve beenworking daily for fifty yearswith artists. Dallas is in a golden era of talent; dancers, actors, designers,musicians, writers, painters, sculptors! More citi- zen-artists noware trained, experi- enced and dying to get it right than at any time inmy long history here. Golden—right at the time the finances dried up,we’ve come into a flooding richness of trained, experienced talent.And it is getting better each year!


Let us be plain and clear about something: let us recognize and affirm that it is these artistswho are themajor subsidy of the arts here—it’s artistswho create a city’s art.Dallas artists are smart devils: gifted and, for themost part, astonishingly selfless. Iwork for themevery day. I see themlifting the quality of life in this city to newheightswith grit and grace.


I also see developing as never before, a hunger in our artists and arts institutions, to cultivate a community of collaboration in a great new civic experiment. This hunger, to be sure is force fed by financial neces- sity; but in this stress, artists/idealists are finding opportunities formore joint, coordinated efforts thatwill benefit us organizationally and enrich us artistically.


Ifwewill,we can, together, build an ecology of creativity that puts Dallas in a top tier attracting residents, businesses and visitors to vigor- ously celebratewith us human joys vividly presented on stage and on display in ourmuseums. Ifwewill, artistswill infuse our schoolswith thrills of discovery—indeed all the aspirations of education. Ifwewill, we’ll recognize the creativity of our best businesses and partnerwith themin elevating lives. Ifwewill,we’ll fulfill the responsibilitieswe sharewith our politicians and serve the publicwith aspirational quality- of-life goals. Ifwewill,we’llwield the power of art to enrich all lives; we’ll seize thismoment of challenge andwrest fromit rewards; rewards beyond price.


“TheArtsMeanBusiness”—yes, of course!But additionally, artsmean life apart frombusiness. Fromartists’ investments, fromartists’ dedica- tion, fromartists’ hardwork and even fromconflict, artistsmake us richly alive in this briefwink of timewe call a lifetime. Their passion makes us open, tolerant, empathetic, involved and eager to join themin expanding the range of human imagination and human achievement. I’mon an installment plan to repay the debt I owe artists; thousands of them, living and dead, known personally or known throughworks they’ve left behind. I repay those artists on this installment plan by daily payments of efforts focused on the task of providing artistswith their chance to be seen, heard and valued.But artists keep showering me and this placewith riches; I pay daily but I’mnever gonna catch up. So I’ll just have to say: “Great knowing ya! I’ll showup tomorrowand make another payment. Thanks.”


[Editor’s note:Dallas theater icon, JacAlder, generously granted permission to print the speech he delivered at the June 26, 2012ArtsAdvocacyDay hosted by the DallasArea CulturalAdvocacy Coalition at the Sammons Center for theArts.]


DANCE!NORTHTEXAS a publication of the dance council of north texas vol. 15 • no. 3


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32