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Funding for Arts Education has always been a goal for me. Unfortunately, I've discovered that schools are not really interested in earning any $$ for it. I started the Sand in the City® contest in Portland 15 years ago. I thought this would be a great fund raiser for arts education in schools. I can't tell you how many schools I tried to talk with about hosting a fund raiser that would net $100,000+ on a weekend, and they are flat out NOT INTERESTED. 

Some schools around the country have told me that its "Illegal" for them to do fund raising, or if they do it, it has to be through the Boosters Club, and all the $$ goes to Football.

They will sell cookie dough to milk $$ out of parents, but have no interest in actually doing an event that would expand their funding base.

Supposedly, Schools are to prepare students to be productive citizens. I.E. well fitting cogs in corporate machines. In other words JOBS.

Currently there is a system to take a kid from kindergarden to pro in sports. There are leagues, coaches, scholarships, etc. 

There is nothing like that for arts. There are a few things for HS performance arts, (Music and Drama). Nothing for visual arts or design.(San Jose CA last year awarded more sports scholarships than the total number of visual arts scholarships in the country).

Now I'm not knocking sports. Sports keep a lot of kids in schools. But if you look at jobs and job skills, there are far more jobs that need Arts Skills that Sports Skills. And "Team Work" is not a sports skill, ask anyone thats done a play.

We've all suffered through bad design. Art skills are needed for everything from the car you drive to the menu at the restaurant. Tons of jobs need arts skills. 

Maybe it's time for the schools to be open to earning some $$, and spending it on the skills that actually help the students get jobs.

Bert Adams

Sand in the City®

360-907-3658 cell

posted 2 years, 12 months ago
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