A Letter from Our Board Chair

Rana Murphy

DAN CUTRONA

he majority of my professional career has been focused in the banking industry. In many ways, it’s a field not unlike the one this year’s guest conductor, Dr. Gregory Skomal, a world renowned shark expert, has pursued his entire adult life.

There tends to be a misconception that both the scientific and financial worlds lack any tangible footing in the creative. It’s a left-brained argument that assumes cognitive processes can be boiled down to a zero-sum game.

Dr. Skomal is proof that this assumption is wrong. Yes, he is a marine biologist, conducting scientific research in the field. But he is also a photographer. He is a writer. And with his own IMDB page and multiple appearances on the Discovery Channel’s Shark Week, he is an actor, someone who must be able to communicate, entertain, and be comfortable on screen.

At the beginning of this year, PBS reported a pilot program was being introduced using the arts to motivate children in dozens of underperforming schools across the country. At one of those schools in New Orleans, Oscar-nominated actress Alfre Woodard volunteered her time working with students and teachers. Why did she do so? Because, in her own words, “Art completes not only the education, but it completes the human being, our ability to create, and to express that creation.”

Shortly after that story came out, the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy & Practice released the results of a study that found arts and culture improved health, safety, and well-being in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods in New York City.

At the AFCC, we know that arts and culture don’t operate in a silo here on Cape Cod. We know the arts are interconnected with the fisheries, science, health, tourism, history, and education which is why the 18 grants we funded this past year crossed paths with all of these sectors. The $25,000 we awarded went to such initiatives as a touch-and-feel art class for those who are blind and sight-impaired; a film series for children and adults with autism; and art workshops, lessons, and mentoring for at-risk youth.

Through our Fellowship Program, we were able to recognize three local artists, providing them with the financial support they need to live, work, and thrive here on Cape Cod.

And we introduced the Creative Exchange, a one-day conference aimed at connecting our working artists with the resources they need to nurture their talents.

With your support, the AFCC is strengthening our community and the individuals who live here. We do it because the arts are necessary. And we do it because we know that art completes each one of us as human beings.

Rana Murphy

AFCC Board Chair