Bowling Green: Little New York?

Tonight, I attended a recruitment dinner with a physician who is considering locating to Bowling Green. Being married to a doctor, I have done this several times over the past 20 years. In these situations, I often act as a sort of "chamber of commerce," giving the prospect all of the reasons I believe he or she would like living in Bowling Green. Since I am the orchestra's music director, I naturally stress the wonderful arts opportunities in our community. So, let me take this opportunity to repeat my message for the benefit of anyone who may not realize how blessed we are to have so much art.

South Central Kentucky has an inordinate amount of arts organizations for a community of approximately 100,000 inhabitants. We have at least three theatre groups within a 30 mile radius (I say "at least" because there are several youth theatre groups and upstart groups that have come and gone in the past). We have two orchestras: my group, Orchestra Kentucky, and Western Kentucky University's orchestra. We have a community choral group, and an active visual arts community. And we haven't even talked about all of the arts offerings on campus, at churches, etc. In fact, the only art form that does not exist in our area is an art museum or a  professional ballet or opera company (note: my orchestra is partnering with the Louisville Ballet for a Nutcracker performance this Christmas and is planning a collaboration with the Kentucky Opera next season).

Why is it that our community has such a thriving arts community? An obvious answer is Western Kentucky University. But there are plenty of examples of college towns where the only thing happening in the arts happens because of the university. That's not true in Bowling Green. No, I believe one reason for the breadth of our arts offerings is our proximity to Nashville. Our area is full of talented people who came to the Nashville area to follow their dream. We are fortunate that many of these talented people live and work among us.

Another reason for our thriving arts community is the amount of financial support arts groups receive in our area. Thousands of private dollars are spent each year to "keep the shows on the road." (Unfortunately, very little local tax dollars directly benefit arts groups.)

Lastly, we have a community who supports the arts by purchasing tickets, buying visual art, and encouraging their children to participate in the arts through music lessons, painting lessons, etc. After all, the arts consumer is the reason we exist.

Why is all of this such a big deal? Because the arts are one of the most important things that defines a community. When we talk about St. Louis, we talk about the arch, a piece of art, not their roads. When we talk about New York we speak of Broadway, not their police force. On an international level, we think of the Eiffel Tower for Paris, Big Ben for London, and the great coliseum for Rome. In other words, it is the arts that make a city great. Without the arts, Bowling Green would be a city with good schools, thriving businesses, good roads, etc. But it wouldn't be Bowling Green as we know it.  A great place to live, work and play.