ARTS

May 27, 2009
Sandra Feinstein-Gamm Theatre
Pawtucket Armory/The Arts Exchange

Description

The Arts isn’t just about the performance or the piece. What impact do the arts have upon the economy and our quality of life? What role do the arts play in the education of our children? In this session, we discover how the arts change and enrich the community and the individual, as well as the important economic impact the arts play in Rhode Island.

This year we spent the day exploring the Arts in Pawtucket. We were treated to a scene of the Taming of the Shrew at The Gamm Theatre, and a frank discussion with its directors and actors. We explored Pawtucket’s arts district and toured artist studios and lofts. Students from the Walsh School for the Arts offered a moving musical performance. Artistic Directors Barnaby Evans and Ricardo Pitts-Wiley spoke about the relationship between the Arts and the community. The day ended with the class discovering the artist within, with help from Island Moving Company.

Objective

Participants will broaden their awareness of the arts in terms of its impact on our societal culture and economic development. Through experiential opportunities to see, hear and participate in various art forms, both on the session day and through arts enhancements, the class will gain a broader perspective of the arts as a participant in the dialectical dynamism of society and culture and better understand the direct economic benefits it provides to communities by creating jobs, attracting new investments, generating tax revenues, and stimulating tourism and consumer purchases.

Guest Presenters

Honorable James E. Doyle
Mayor of Pawtucket

Herb Weiss
Economic and Cultural Affairs Officer, City of Pawtucket

John Haidemenos
Principal and J.M. Walsh Students

Tony Estrella
Artistic Director, Gamm Theatre

Steve Kidd
Education Director, Gamm Theatre

Richard Kazarian,
Chairman, Mayor’s Task Force on Bridge Replacement

Anne Mulhall
Owner and Casting Director, LDI Casting

Alumni Subcommittee: Arts Session

Kim Jalette, LRI ’07 (Chair)
Leadership Rhode Island

Yuanne Seggerman, LRI '04
Sandra Feinstein - Gamm Theatre