Adrian Walker’s column on the Outside the Box festival (“Give festival another go,” Metro, July 22) describes in a microcosm what Boston’s creative community does every day. Museums, theaters, dance centers, galleries, community arts centers, and working artists produce inspiring and creative programs and events that build a vibrant Boston and connect the city’s diverse populations, making the city a place where we want to work, play, visit, and raise our kids.
The health of Boston’s creative community is directly related to the support and resources it gets from City Hall. While Ted Cutler generously underwrote his festival, the fate of such events and the long-term sustainability of the hundreds of arts, culture, and creative institutions often depend on where the mayor stands on this integral piece of the city’s economy and culture.
As we are knee deep in this mayor’s race, debating the strengths and challenges of the city and its vision for the next decades, it is important to make sure that arts, culture, and creativity are part of that discussion. Let’s all make sure that the next mayor of Boston is not just a supporter but a true champion of the arts.
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