An Open Letter to The Arts

Dear Arts,

Many Islanders seem to value your results, but not your beginnings. They watch The Queen’s Gambit, but don’t recognize the years of community theater that got them there. A space like MICA would be a fantastic solution to this ignorant state of ignoring, but the pandemic seems to dominate progress for all other issues despite your undeniably integral role in our community.

I wrote this letter to say I’m sorry. I’ve tried to support you, protect you like a spurt of oxygen next to a dwindling flame, but without more like me your death seems imminent. I will get you out of this, I have to, I need you, but you must help out. You need to show the world how important you are; I know, but they seem to forget. Remind them of the passion, the joy, the need to express to communicate.

I want to spend my life with you. I don’t have enough money for a ring yet, but it’ll be the most beautiful ring you’ve ever seen. For now, you’ll just have to imagine it, make do with a bent paper clip, but imagining is what you’re best at, right? Whenever it seems that your life is dire, look at the ring. Well, where the ring would be. Look at that hope. You don’t need a ring for it — it’s within you. And that’s what makes you so special.