Many of you have heard about the recent survey of Puget Sound-area arts and cultural groups that ArtsFund conducted over the summer. (You can find the survey on the “News and Media” page of this website.) We wanted to find out how the economy has been affecting these groups.

While all of them have had challenges, the biggest lesson we saw was that even in these times – or maybe because of these times – people want and need the arts as much or more than ever. Attendance has been steady or even up, although revenue from tickets was generally down as people found free or discounted tickets. Arts groups have responded by maintaining high quality throughout the recession.

Another finding in that survey caught my attention: Some 85 per cent of respondents agreed with the statement that they need to seize the current economic crisis as an opportunity to rethink the way they do business.

In other words, never waste a good crisis.

At ArtsFund, we’re taking the same approach, and it will be our focus for the coming year. We’ve already looked at the assumptions of the strategic plan we passed just a year ago and made changes based on the current climate.

We’re also doing a full-out review of our fundraising efforts to see what changes we need to make with the new economic realities.

To ensure that ArtsFund continues to provide the grants and programs our arts groups needs to serve this region with top-notch, widely accessible services, we’ll need your commitment and help. Find arts and cultural activities to attend with your family, and consider a gift to ArtsFund.