Can you tell the Election is coming? But, in defense of one of the more common complaints I've heard against Harper is the cuts in funding he's made towards the arts. Being an artist myself who derives not a penny from the government grants I was at first a little disheartened to think that this well might be drying up before I had myself a chance to drink from it.
But then I took a few minutes to reflect. What is the government's role in the arts, anyways? Perhaps I listen to CBC too much, where any threats towards funding the arts seem raise fears that we will lose our national radio. This would be bad. But in a smaller, more local way, what authority does the government have to spend our money on Art? What kind of art would the conservative government encourage? [see picture above]. And perhaps we should view this not as a threat towards the arts, but as a chance for us all to empower them - take the promised tax savings and buy a painting, not a print. Read a Canadian author. A lesser author, not the great Atwood or Davies. Or see a play. And here we all stand to not only be the patrons of the arts, but reap their benefits as well.