This is the fifth post in Steve’s series about his Priorities.
Enriching the lives of our residents through Arts and Culture is another important way to help retain the charm and vitality of our community.
Life is about more than working and sleeping, and one of the ways to bring joy and social health to our existence is to experience art and culture in many forms. Arts and Culture brings people together through shared and enjoyed experiences. For many years, our County (and particularly Paris) has been an attractive place for people who love to create art. We have opportunities to celebrate and expand on this.
Whether your family has been here for generations, or just moved here last year, everyone enjoys watching live music in a local park on a Thursday evening. And when local art galleries or local art collectives have the opportunity to share the work of local artists, everyone benefits. When the Library brings in a writer to discuss their latest book, it inspires the creative spirit in people of all ages. The statistics for how our Library services served the wellness of families during the pandemic are very significant. I discussed them in this post.
Speaking of Libraries, I currently sit on the Library Board and I have great anticipation for the Arts and Culture opportunities that will be provided as we begin design and construction of our new library in one of our Town’s most significant Heritage buildings – The Old Town Hall/ Bawcutt Centre. This building will be incredible for Paris and all surrounding communities.
The Arts and Culture sector provides economic, social, health and wellbeing, and educational benefits to society and quite simply makes life in our Town more enjoyable. The County recognizes this and recently hired a new Arts Culture and Heritage Officer. I look forward to having a strong voice as we move forward in creating our new Strategy for Arts, Culture and Heritage.
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