Support for arts a hot election issue on Salt Spring

Salt Spring is often heralded as a haven for the arts, but now the Salt Spring Arts Council is asking local election candidates to consider just what that means to the community as they mount their election campaigns.

Arts council board member and communications committee chair Pat Preston has drafted a series of questions that have now been sent to all 12 candidates vying for positions with the Islands Trust and as the CRD electoral area director.

As the document states: “Currently, Salt Spring Island is rich in the arts — visual, performing and literary — but given the current economic downturn and its impact on the island, it is not clear that this is sustainable. There are huge cost barriers to living and working” on the island. And yet, the arts have been shown to contribute hugely to local economies. A study of economic activity on arts and culture in Greater Victoria today found the sector generated $170 million in 2010.

“We believe that the subject of the arts community and its issues rarely get raised or addressed in elections,” Preston explained of the arts council’s proactive approach.

“Because it’s such an important part of Salt Spring — what it does in terms of tourism, what it does in terms of economic development — we felt it was important that some of the issues were addressed.”

A series of seven questions with background context for each was sent to every candidate, along with a request for a written response. Some of these questions deal directly with how candidates would support, promote or enhance the arts in the community.

For example, one question asks how the arts council could receive more funding from sources such as the CRD, which has an arts development service that a previous CRD director for Salt Spring chose not to subscribe to.

Preston said the service issues operational grants, highly desirable because many organizations’ grants can be applied only to special programs and cannot be used for core needs.

“I think this particular program is worth exploring and would need support from whomever the CRD rep would be. It’s a political decision,” Preston said, noting that regions have to contribute to the service to be eligible for its grants.

Another question asks whether candidates would support SSAC’s bid to launch island art sales through BC Ferries’ gift shops. The group presented a request for support to Salt Spring’s Ferry Advisory Committee on Monday night.

Other questions deal with issues that potentially affect all islanders, such as how to address the need for affordable housing, how to increase tourism and how to pursue affordable ferry travel for locals and visitors.

“Certainly we don’t expect these questions to be the end of anything, but it’s a beginning, I think, for the arts council and the community,” Preston said. “And we feel quite excited by that.”

So far the arts council has not received a formal reply from any of the candidates.

Preston said she’s hoping other people in the community will bring these questions to the candidates if they see them and report back with the answers they receive. Council members will also be attending all-candidates debates and hope to introduce the arts issue there.