Funding Arts Broward Welcomes National Arts Leader Randy Cohen

In a dynamic partnership among arts funders, Funding Arts Broward invited Broward Cultural Division to sponsor them in hosting Americans for the Arts' Vice President of Research and Policy Randy Cohen at the NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale. The event became an intimate gathering of Broward arts ambassadors, with a focus on how and why the arts are critical to our community. With a common mission, both FAB! and the Cultural Division and their guests, were inspired as always by Cohen's words on the impact of the arts in our schools, our hospitals, our military and even on our baseball fields!

FAB! President Elaine Blattner opened the presentation with an important message that as cultural leaders, we are honored to have a national speaker as our guest. "FAB! engages people who are passionate about the arts to fund, support and advocate for a better community," Blattner said.

An expert in the field of national policy and a highly-regarded presenter, Cohen is instrumental in publication of the National Arts Index, as well as the country's two premier statistical research documents on the arts and business, Arts & Economic Prosperity and Creative Industries -an annual mapping study of 702,000 arts communities in the U.S.

Cohen praised FAB!'s contribution of more than $2 million towards the arts in the last decade, not only as an amazing feat, but a unique one. "In my travels across the country," he said, "to more than 30 cities a year, I don't often come across organizations like FAB!" He also noted the strength in partnership with the public side of the arts industry. He complimented the work of Broward Cultural Division Director Earl Bosworth and Assistant Director Jody Horne Leshinsky.

"Your personal engagement, leadership and resources are having a major impact on the arts and the community-at-large," Cohen said to this gathering of arts advocates. "The fundamental reason we love the arts, is that they inspire us and allow us to contribute to communities where we want to live, and raise our children."

Cohen noted that culturally, socially, educationally, and practically, and for many decades, the arts have been a part of the community network toward healing, inspiring and even peace. National Geographic (Feb. 2015) had a cover story chronicling arts in the military. In response to concerns about post-traumatic stress disorder for returning military men and women, art therapy is used to engage soldiers and encourage them to express themselves.

Cohen ended by quoting the famous scientist Thomas Sudhof, who says he "owes it all to his bassoon teacher," who taught him discipline, perseverance, passion, drive for excellence, visual thinking, pattern recognition and problem solving. He touched on the research and historic correlation between Nobel prize winners and the arts; and spoke of the arts in health care as well, where research has shown results in reduced length of hospital stay; fewer medical visits; reduced use of pain and anxiety medication; improved recovery time; reduced depression.

Director and Chief Curator of NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale Bonnie Clearwater, brought the arts and military home to the group with a private tour of the exhibition The Indestructible Lee Miller. Miller was a resister in her own right, as a war photographer whose images of the London Blitz, liberation of Paris, and Dachau and Buchenwald concentration camps were among the most powerful photographs of World War II. As the finale, Clearwater provided an expert private tour of the exhibition, filled with personal stories about the artist and her photographs.

FAB! invites all members and their guests to join in the FAB! Fun to share intellectual curiosity and gain greater appreciation and insight of art trends, while making a positive contribution to the community.

Visit the FAB! Website for more information at www.fundingartsbroward.org.

Don't Miss a Broadway News Story Sign up for all the news on the Winter season, discounts & more...