Harper’s comments spark a culture war locally

File photo of a community theatre production Spring 2008.

The Canadian Arts community has come out swinging this week after Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s comments on the country’s arts and culture scene.

Defending his government's $45 million in cuts to arts and culture funding, Harper told an audience in Saskatoon during campaign stop that the ordinary Joe doesn’t care about the arts.

"I think when ordinary working people come home, turn on the TV and see a gala of a bunch of people at, you know, a rich gala all subsidized by taxpayers claiming their subsidies aren't high enough, when they know those subsidies have actually gone up – I'm not sure that's something that resonates with ordinary people."

Internationally renowned artists Gordon Pinsent, Wendy Crewson and Colm Feore gathered with fellow ACTRA members to denounce the comments and encourage Canadians to send a loud message to Prime Minister Stephen Harper that arts and culture are a vital and fundamental sector of not just establishing an identity but also to the economy.

"The arts contribute $85 billion per year to our gross domestic product. It creates 1.1 million jobs, which is 7.2 per cent of our employment," she said. "It is a huge industry in this country. We're tired of hearing that it's handouts to the arts but that it's funding to the auto industry or for the energy sector," said ACTRA spokesperson Taborra Johnson.

Locally the comments have drawn criticism from the arts community and general public alike.

As a prelude to the upcoming roundtable forum on arts and culture funding cuts on Thursday, October 9th between 2 and 4pm at the W.K.P. Kennedy Gallery, BayToday will be running your submitted comments on the issue.

Our first submission comes from local artist Niki Hoffman:


Just a quick comment on cuts to arts funding.

Without exposure to, and participation in the arts by children, all culture will disappear from our country. Our children will grow up thinking that art only includes comic books, graphic novels and video game backdrops.

Consistent and frequent exposure to all forms of artistic expression from an early age is absolutely necessary and with constant cuts in school budgets, the arts are usually the first to go. I used to go teach workshops in schools from time to time for the nominal fee of $3 per child to cover materials. My time was free. Now, that can't happen unless the teacher is willing to send home a note to the parents requesting the money to pay for it. If children can't learn enough about art at school, it is essential that they get the opportunity to experience art in the community.

Cuts to arts funding will make it even more difficult for serious artists to be able to produce their work. It is an extremely time-consuming profession, that is given little enough funding as it is. When an artist cannot get periodic financial help, they must work the equivalent of two full-time jobs - one to pay the rent, one to make their artistic contribution to society. This is particularly true in northern communities where we don't have the population base to be able to support artists on artwork purchases alone. If artists cannot produce, our society never gets the chance to experience art firsthand.

Virtual paintings and sculpture viewed online are poor substitutes for the real thing. It's no wonder our children grow up unimpressed.