The following opinion column was written by MAC Board Chair Katarina Kupca and published in the Winnipeg Free Press on Saturday, November 1. You can read the original article here:
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It’s easy to take arts and culture for granted. Not because they don’t matter, but because they’re woven so deeply into our daily lives.
They’re in the stories we tell, the music in our earbuds, the festivals that bring neighbours into the streets and the murals that brighten our downtowns.
Arts and culture are part of who we are as Manitobans.
But the arts aren’t just “nice to have.” They’re essential. Especially right now.
We’re living in uncertain times. Our economy faces instability, and we need to diversify our trade partnerships. Young people are questioning their futures. Conversations between communities are harder to have and the gaps between us seem to be widening.
There’s hope too, of course, and arts and culture show us what’s possible. It is the one sector uniquely equipped to respond to all these challenges.
Arts and culture give us joy, creativity and a break from everyday pressures. But they also fuel Manitoba in ways that are often invisible until you look more closely.
The Manitoba Arts Council recently released a new study that makes the value of the arts clearer. Arts and culture generate three per cent of our GDP, which is about the same as commercial construction, contributing $1.75 billion to Manitoba’s economy.
More than 20,000 Manitobans work in the sector. These artists, technicians, designers, administrators and entrepreneurs make up one of the most adaptable, skilled and innovative workforces in the province.
And the economics ripple outward. Ticket sales, classes, admissions, festivals and live events generate money that is spent locally on wages, supplies, venues, transportation and food. That means more jobs, more tax revenue and stronger communities.
Our arts and culture scene also attracts tourists — tourists who spend.
According to a joint Manitoba Arts Council/Travel Manitoba report, tourists who take in arts and culture activities in Manitoba spend more than double than those who do not.
And it’s not just visitors that are attracted, it’s new Manitobans. The Manitoba Chambers of Commerce found that a vibrant arts and culture community is a major reason young professionals choose to move here. Turns out, we all want to live in a connected and interesting place.
Even internationally, art connects us. Cultural diplomacy helps build trust, relationships and trade opportunities long before formal agreements are signed.
But the value of the arts can’t only be measured in dollars. Importantly, art helps us understand each other and even ourselves.
Artists show us a different way to look at the world and spark conversations that might never happen otherwise.
Community theatre brings rural towns together. Powwows strengthen culture and identity. A gallery exhibit can challenge us to see from another perspective. A shared song can cross languages and histories.
When we sing in a choir, pick up a drum, join a writing class, dance, carve, paint or sit in an audience and let someone else’s story wash over us, we change.
Art opens space for reflection and healing. It allows us to feel deeply in a way that’s safe, human — and necessary. There’s a reason so many healing and wellness programs are rooted in culture and creativity.
Since I started working in the field decades ago, people in the arts have wondered how to best convey the value of the arts. Is art meaningful simply because it exists? Should we talk about lives changed through culture and community? Is economic impact important?
The truth is, it’s all of this.
Here in Manitoba, we’re incredibly lucky. There are multiple arts and cultural offerings every day of the year, from large festivals to small community workshops — almost every Manitoban participates in some way.
More than 90 per cent of Manitobans say the arts celebrate our province’s unique cultural identity. They say the arts make Manitoba distinct and help us find our collective voice. That’s something we’ve built together and we should be proud of it.
So, to Manitoba’s arts community, thank you. Thank you for the creativity, the courage, the joy, the ideas, the jobs and the opportunities.
And thank you to everyone across the province who learns, watches, donates, volunteers, teaches and creates.
The arts are essential right now — and always — because of you.
Katarina Kupca is the chair of the Manitoba Arts Council – the provincial crown agency that supports artists, arts and cultural organizations, Indigenous Knowledge Keepers, students of the arts and arts/cultural professionals throughout Manitoba.
