The February 4 Nashville Tennessean includes a commentary by Mayor Bill
Purcell who writes: "The arts speak to the soul of a city. Here in
Nashville we know that, and we have known it for the past 200 years...It
is essential, however, for government to help make sure that this reputation
flourishes and expands so that the arts can continue to play a central role
in the life of our city...Over past seven-and-a-half years, the Metro
Nashville Arts Commission's grants budget has been increased by almost 50
percent ... With the cooperation of the council, Metro has been able to
provide substantial support for the Schermerhorn Center, as well as planning
dollars for the long-awaited Museum of African-American Music, Art and
Culture...It is vital for us to remember that it takes vigilance to make a
city's cultural life prosper. It takes funding, of course, but it also takes
an unswerving conviction that the arts are not merely a frill or an
afterthought. They are a treasure. They are part of what makes our city
great."
