To the Editor:

What do we need for Newtown’s future? Having gone through the Newtown School System and been a part of Newtown for almost 30 years, I have experience with the answer to that question. The arts, which service all the members of the town, regardless of age, special talents, or handicaps.

Because of the state of our culture and lack of awareness on the issue, many are not informed of the importance of the arts. This does not take away from the fact that art has the ability to bring people together, help grow a better understanding of others and of one’s self, and build skills that transfer to other areas of life. To the uninformed, all those results sound pulled out of the sky. To many others, the positive effect art has on individuals and the community is measured, and consistently found to be true for all people, found through numerous studies offering a clear correlation between art practice and improved literacy and math skills — and we all have experienced at one time or other its emotional healing benefits.

You may believe that the school system provides enough skill-building in the arts. These art classes are very important, however, (with a very low budget as I remember) only service the school students, and in limited ways. If it’s not important to practice skills outside of school, why do children do homework or participate in after school activities? And what about the rest of the community — where do they go to learn art practice and engage with others while doing so? Everyone benefits from art practice, and those benefits become exponential when practiced in the company of others. Art practice is not simply craft making that can be done in one’s living room. It is about the discovery of the self found through an art form, and that learning is increased when with, and also under the guidance of, others.

Understanding the importance of the arts is not something everyone can do without help. It takes experience and the chance to witness the effect it has on others and one’s self. Please ask the Community Center Commission members to consult with the Newtown Cultural Arts Commission about the kind of a center we need which could house involvement for all the arts including performance, literature, music, exhibitions, and educational workshops of all kinds, as well as do something that would unite efforts in the town as a whole: facilitate the coming together of the different arts organizations who have been struggling to independently provide health, wellness, and skills through the arts.

By being a shared location to learn skills through art practice and share work with others, this community center can be the groundwork for shared experience between the individual and the community. A space for group-based art programs, individual art practice, and the company of other artists will raise awareness of the benefits that the arts can provide to the individual, and therefore in turn, the community.

Lindsay Kelkres

643B New Wheeler Road, Southbury   October 3, 2015