In this season of holiday giving, consumers will carefully measure every dollar spent on gift purchases. "Thoughtful Giving" will, no doubt, be a theme of this year's holiday season.
A! Magazine for the Arts suggests "Artful Giving" as a way to give thoughtfully, spend money wisely, and help local artists and arts organizations in a difficult economy. This three-fold benefit will multiply the value of each dollar spent.
Ways to Give Artfully
• Give tickets to plays, concerts, shows, and exhibitions. See our Calendar of Events, plus more suggestions below.
• Patronize art galleries for gifts of art, crafted items, art supplies, and gift certificates. See the July and October 2009 editions of A! Magazine for a listing of galleries in the region, and look for new galleries opened since these articles were published (visit www.artsmagazine.info and search "Galleries").
• Give gift certificates for classes at theatres, galleries, music and dance studios.
• Give monetary donations to your favorite arts venues and organizations. All non-profits need donations in order to operate and serve the community.
• Volunteer your time to arts venues. Volunteers are a vital part of the survival equation. Read the accompanying articles for suggestions on how to volunteer.
• Donate your surplus items to arts venues. Read suggestions in this edition.
