Mayor Walsh and his arts czar outline their vision

Opinion - The Boston Globe: John F. Kennedy said, “The life of the arts, far from being an interruption, a distraction in the life of the nation, is very close to the center of a nation’s purpose — and it is the test of the quality of a nation’s civilization.”

During the mayoral campaign, thousands of Boston residents shared with us, and with each other, their hopes and dreams for the future. These ideas and aspirations cut across all areas, but we were consistently struck by the fact that the impact and the power of the arts was a common refrain. Bostonians said loudly and clearly that they would like to see the arts more integrated into their daily lives. Unprompted, they spoke of the arts in terms of education, equity, access, and affordability. We heard them. They spoke of the arts not as an extra, but as a means of communication, an expression of identity, and a tool for teaching and healing.