Opinion: Why the Arts Matter

In the nonprofit hierarchy, the arts are often seen as less important than health and human-service needs and are therefore more likely to suffer during an economic downturn, writes James E. Canales, president of the James Irvine Foundation, in a column for the San Francisco Chronicle.

And yet the arts, particularly in California’s Bay Area, provide jobs, state and local tax revenues, and educational opportunities, he writes. “But the importance of the arts extends well beyond economics and education. The arts expand our horizons, unleash creativity, and build social bonds.”

Mr. Canales urges readers not only to support individual arts groups “but also talk to your friends and neighbors about the transformative power of the arts and encourage them to support and advocate for the arts.”