Arts nurture community in many ways

When was the last time you sat on the pale green “leaf bench” at Farmin Park? The next time you visit the park, I hope you can just sit there — even for a few minutes — and remember that it is a unique piece of sculpture that helps nurture our sense of community.

As I write this column, Sue and I are visiting Philadelphia, Pa., where our granddaughter just received her master’s degree from Temple University. One of our Uber drivers gave us a wonderful, extra “dime tour” around the central city.

One thing he spoke about was the incredible art almost everywhere you look. Over 4,000 murals in neighborhoods and downtown. Dozens of museums featuring world-famous art of many kinds and styles. People come to Philadelphia from all over the world in part to see the city’s art. The art is what helps nurture the community called “Philadelphia.”

Sandpoint has exceptional art and artists as well. Not on the Philly scale to be sure. But our art is just as important to us to help us build and nurture a depth of community that too many other communities are not able to experience. Our art is found in our music community, our fine arts community, our theater community, and well, you can name others, too.

An arts group from Boulder, Colo., similar to our Pend Oreille Arts Council, shared some blog thoughts on the differences art has made to their city. Those differences include “cultural enrichment," “economic revitalization," “social cohesion and inclusion” (bringing artists and patrons together in surprising ways given the community’s diversity), “transforming public spaces” (like Farmin Park or Memorial Field?), and “education and empowerment.” 

See if any of those differences make sense to you. I think they will, and do!   

Next Tuesday, May 14, the Geezer Forum will close out this year’s “Geezer Season” with a focus on the arts in Bonner County. In particular, we will feature speakers from three of our most visible arts venues. 

The Sandpoint Music Conservatory will be represented by Kathi Small, SMC development director, and the SMC founder and executive director, Karin Wedemeyer. Karin and SMC’s growing staff began with nine students and currently, 500 students are involved in a variety of musical learning programs. Current and future programs will be shared by Kathi and Karin.

Our second art program is what many people call our “community treasure," the PANIDA Theater. Foster Cline, board member and chair of the Centennial Fund, will be joined by the Panida’s new managing director, Rob Talbot. 

Together, they will remind us where the Panida has been and then share their exciting plans for the future. The Panida’s wonderful theater, staff and volunteers continue to host a diverse gathering of live performers (local, regional and national), movies both new and not-so-new, and multiple community fundraisers.

POAC was supposed to be with us May 14, but they had to cancel due to some of the presenters not being able to join us! I’m confident we will be able to fit POAC into our Fall calendar, so we can learn of upcoming events and art programs aimed at the “inner artists” we older adults have hidden inside.

Please plan to join us at the Geezer Forum next Tuesday, May 14, 2:30-4 p.m. in the Community Room (next to Tango Café) of Umpqua Bank. We’ll learn a great deal, plus meet older and newer friends. How better can we invest a Tuesday afternoon?

Paul Graves, M.Div., is the lead geezer-in-training of Elder Advocates, a consulting ministry that deals with issues of aging. Contact Paul at 208-610-4971 or elderadvocates@nctv.com.