Next week, Seattle’s Pacific Science Center will open its doors to the exhibit Terracotta Warriors of the First Emperor, transporting viewers back 2,200 years to discover the story of the First Imperial Dynasty of China and the untouched tomb of the first Emperor.
I was honored to work with the Pacific Science Center during the budget season last year to allocate $100,000 towards their goal to make their exhibits, programs, and events accessible to everyone, regardless of income. These funds will go towards outreach and accessibility initiatives around this historic Terracotta Warriors exhibit by lowering the cost barrier for those who otherwise might not be able to attend.
I am proud to support art and culture in Seattle – namely access to art and cultural experiences – at a time when, at the national and local level, their relevancy and level of priority are being seriously questioned. To me, investment in the arts are an investment in our community – in so many different, fundamental ways.
Quite literally, our arts, cultural, and scientific organizations contribute in a big way to our local economy. In 2014 alone, spending by King County arts, cultural, and scientific organizations and their patrons generated $20 billion in business activity in Washington State’s economy. This activity in turn supported 30,721 jobs, and $859 million in labor income, and resulted in $87 million in sales, business and occupation, and hotel-motel room taxes. For more information on this sector’s economic impact, read this study.
Investment in the arts also represents an investment in the next generation. Arts and cultural experiences can provide young people the tools they need to succeed in school, life, and our City. An education complete with arts opportunities – whether we bring art to the classroom or classrooms to the arts – results in a next generation of Seattleites who are creative and critical thinkers who can collaborate to solve problems and engage with their communities. For more information on the 21st century skills our students learn through art, read this report.
Lastly, investment in the arts is an investment in the community as a whole. Not only does art and culture provide a beauty that promotes livability in a region, but art is powerful because it has the ability to make us feel differently. Art is a meaningful and personal way to enact change. Art is a way to inspire. It’s a way to connect us to others who might think differently than us and it’s a way for us to break barriers and cross cultures.
I am thankful to live in a city that values arts and culture for all it is and can inspire – not just for those who can afford it, but for everyone.