Students step up to send message to Congress to continue supporting the arts
When the call came, a line of Jasper students stood waiting to be interviewed about the impact of the arts in their lives.
For the three young filmmakers — Hannah Rydberg, Brea Mullin and Amanda Ackerman, all Jasper High School seniors — creating a message to send to Congress imploring them to continue supporting the arts, the response was overwhelming.
“Kids wanted to talk about it,” Hannah said. “They were very excited about it once they heard what it was for and where it was going.”
“It was definitely their passion coming out,” Amanda added.
The three created the video over a long weekend after Jasper art teachers Josh Dodd and Andrea Fleck mentioned something to them about an opportunity to get the message in front of a congressman.
Jasper Art Department Education Coordinator Donna Schepers had grabbed 15 minutes to meet with Congressman Dr. Larry Bucshon during her week of training at the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington D.C.
Schepers in Washington D.C. due to the Jasper Community Arts Commission’s partnership with John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts. Through the partnership, Schepers is able to bring teaching artists into schools to lead workshops and to help integrate the arts into other parts of the curriculum.
With the possible funding cuts to the National Endowment for the Arts (which funds the Kennedy Center) and National Endowment for the Humanities rumored by President Donald Trump’s administration, Schepers had to speak to Indiana’s 8th District congressman.
For the art teachers and filmmakers, the moment to let Dr. Buschon know how students in a city in his district felt was one they couldn’t miss.
“The goal was just to promote the effects of community art in our town,” Brea said. “People may not realize all the opportunities and all the passion that lies within a small town. Without that foundation of community art, I don’t know that we would be where we are today.”
According to Schepers, the meeting with Dr. Bucshon went well. He viewed the video and seemed supportive. “He was reserved,” she said. “However, he did say he was supportive and would vote for the National Endowment.”
This is an important fight for the lifelong artist. She’s been with the Jasper Arts Department since 1989. Through her position as education coordinator, Shepers has reached 1000s of students. Her enthusiasm and work has earned her the nickname “the art lady” among students.
Without the funding from the National Endowment of the Arts, the Jasper Community Arts Commission’s ability to complete its mission to stimulate and encourage art participation and appreciation would be stymied. The department, founded in 1975, is the state’s only city-funded arts department. It gets about half its budget from the city with the rest coming from the National Endowment for the Arts and local donations.
Without the NEA funding, the school programs would likely go away.
Cutting the National Endowment for the Arts budget would likely do little to impact federal spending. For example, the NEA’s 2016 budget was $148 million, less than .012 percent of discretionary spending. According to the organization, the arts strengthen education. Research confirms a positive relationship between arts education and academic success for both elementary and secondary students especially those from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds.
“The arts define our civilization,” she said. “They allow us to understand who we are and what we think and how we affect the world. I refuse to imagine out country without that.”
Here is the video.
