Dear Friends,

Could this actually be a good time for the arts?

No, I'm not delusional. I'm as aware as anyone of the long-term effects the economic downturn has had on all of our lives, in some cases devastatingly so. Non-profits, including YBCA, have been hit particularly hard by the recession. Budget cuts, layoffs, real financial—and human—pain have become part of everyone's world. Despair is not too strong a word to describe the status of many organizations around the country, some of which will not survive. Most strikingly, and I think most importantly, we've seen the end of things we thought would be around "forever."

Turns out, there isn't much we can count on these days—except art.

The creative spirit that drives a human being to create something from nothing; to interpret the world in ways we could never have imagined; to awaken us to truth, beauty, provocation and insight when we most need it, flourishes even in the tough times. And best of all, art reminds us that what really matters is not the accumulation of "stuff," but the transformational experiences that can only occur through direct engagement with an extraordinary object, a stunning performance, an inspiring film or an incredible new idea. We know that what makes our lives sing are those intangible, irreplaceable arts experiences that live on in our memories and, in some cases, change us forever. To share those experiences with others—which is the purpose of an arts center—elevates our singular encounter to one that resonates within our community and perhaps even throughout the world, reinforcing, once again, that the power of art rests in its very humanness.

In these challenging times, placing the vitality of the creative spirit at the center of our lives is our most important task. Indeed it might be our only task if we are to survive and thrive into the future. At YBCA, we are up to the challenge and taking it on fully. Despite the tumult of the past year, we have pulled together one of our most extraordinary seasons ever. One that—if you will engage with us—I promise you will remember long after the new car has died, the new clothes have been donated to Goodwill and your current cell phone is a thing of the past.

We are opening our season in July with our first ever YBCA Summer Festival, PUSH PLAY> — a festival of contemporary work that only YBCA could pull off—not only with our usual provocative programs, but in the way we've put it together, to create an offbeat festival like none other.

In September, we begin our regular season, though there is nothing ever regular about YBCA, especially this season! As we have in the past, we've grouped artists and projects around three Big Ideas—major themes that we see artists exploring right now—as a way to help you better understand the work, recognize some connections and/or contradictions between artists and better understand how their creative output directly relates to the times and the world around us. The first one, Heroes and Heroics, is an issue that has clearly been raised around the meteoric rise and overwhelming support for Barack Obama. The second idea, Bridging the Gap, examines the ways that artists are working together to join the differences between cultures and ideologies that have separated us, to create entirely new artistic conversations and art forms. And finally, with Under the Influence, artists illuminate how the creativity, ideas and influences of others help us better understand ourselves.

Times of crisis offer new possibilities, create transformation and encourage new ideas and behaviors to emerge. At YBCA we're changing our gallery hours to focus on evenings and weekends—rather than weekdays and daytime hours when most of you are at work—to better accommodate your busy schedules. We're transforming your experience by programming multiple events on the same day and making it easier for you to attend more than one event by offering more "free with gallery admission" programs and including same-day gallery admission with all YBCA paid events. We're even making our spaces more social and sociable (how about a bar in the Grand Lobby?) to encourage conversation, create greater interaction with artists and curators and provide you with a more meaningful arts experience. We're also disseminating more information about the art and artists onsite and online and creating more opportunities for you to both reflect on the art and share your thoughts with us.

At times like these, the creative spirit is what we need most. And art is clearly the most powerful expression of the creative spirit. (See where I'm going with this?) So, isn't it also possible, then, that this is actually a good time for the arts?

We think so and we hope you'll join us this season at YBCA!

Kenneth J. Foster
Executive Director