| (Last in a four-part series). Let's face it — we're a city in need of an identity. Richmond is the state capital. Danville used to be the capital of the Confederacy. Charlottesville has the University of Virginia, Roanoke has railroads. We have the Rev. Jerry Falwell. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. You may disagree with Jerry (I do, on occasion), but there's no question that his big personality and big TV outreach has planted the name "Lynchburg" nationwide. When they read some outrageous Falwell quote, the first thing people say (either admiringly or angrily) is "I can't believe that guy said that." The second thing they say is "Where the heck is Lynchburg, Va.?" You can't buy that kind of national advertising, and there's no question that Jerry has attracted a lot of people to Lynchburg to live. On the other hand, the Thomas Road Baptist Church pastor isn't going to be in the public spotlight forever — and we need an alternative identity, anyway. But what? C.B. Fleet is a big national company with its roots here, and has a proud and remarkable history. Still, do we want to be known as "The City of Enemas"? I think not. Similarly, while it's interesting that John Lynch's brother Charles is credited (or blamed) by some historians with being the source of the term "lynching," that distinction is a little hard to spin into tourist dollars. So what's left? The arts. I know. I hear you. Some of you are saying, "Who cares about a bunch of people in leotards?" Others are saying, "Who cares about an old building (the Academy of Music) that hasn't been used in 40 years?" And still others are saying "Who wants a bunch of weird artists from somewhere else wandering around town? What if they decide to break in and redecorate my apartment?" Nevertheless, you may have to learn to deal with it, because a critical mass is being reached. That's been the point of the columns I've been doing for the past week. Over on Main Street, barely breathing, we have one of the most remarkable music halls in the country (the Academy). Down at Ninth and Jefferson, the Riverviews Artspace is struggling to become a window on the rest of the art world. We have one of only a dozen or so schools for the arts in the country on Rivermont Avenue (the Virginia School for the Arts), and one of only 30 artist's colonies (the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts) in nearby Amherst County. I believe this is not just a coincidence. It's fate, and it's probably time we realized it. What's happening now — Riverviews, the Academy renovation, the Amazement Square Children's Museum — is just part of the story. Should these things come to fruition, they will join the Lynchburg Fine Arts Center, five colleges, two strong high school drama and music programs, the Sedalia Center in Bedford County, the Maier Museum, the Lynchburg Symphony, two ambitious community theater groups (Cherry Tree and Renaissance), the Ellington, the Lynchburg Art Club, the Jefferson Choral Society, Hiawatha Johnson (a cultural treasure by himself) and a developing arts program in the City Recreation Department. I'm probably forgetting someone, and they'll call me tomorrow. Sure, Lynchburg isn't New York, or even Richmond. But that's an impressive array of artistic and cultural activities for a metro area of 100,000 people. It's even more impressive when you start making a few connections. If the School of the Arts expanded into art and music, artists and musicians staying at the VCCA or living at Riverviews could lend their talents to the faculty (if only for a short time). If the Academy of Music were ever renovated, its stage could be used not only by the nationally recognized VSA dance program, but by the Fine Arts Center, Cherry Tree and Renaissance (augmenting, but not replacing, the facilities those groups would have on their own). When the artists living at Riverviews start producing art, they'll need somewhere to sell it and exhibit it. If all this started happening, students from local high schools would have mentors and role models close at hand, and Central Virginia would begin producing far more than its share of dancers and actors and musicians and artists and writers. Why would this happen here? Because we have the components to make it happen, and because we have a vaccuum (all the sturdy old buildings sitting idle downtown) begging to be filled. That's the fantasy. The vision, if you will. There are also obstacles, mostly financial. To paraphrase the late Sen. Everett Dirksen, "A million here, a million there, and pretty soon you're talking about real money." The problem with all these cultural entities springing up at once is that they all need to be fed — and the usual "deep pockets," corporate and individual, are now even more in demand. It's like having seven or eight hungry dogs staring wistfully up at you as you eat dinner. Yet maybe there's a silver lining to that. The one thing I'd hate to see happen is for art and music and other cultural activities to remain the province of rich people. I have nothing against rich people (I'm even friends with a few of them), but any "arts scene" in Lynchburg has to be broad-based. Take the Academy of Music, for instance. Sure, it would be perfect for a performance of "Swan Like" by the VSA dancers. It could also showcase a Neil Simon play, or a Jefferson Choral Society production, or lend itself to jazz groups, folk, rock and country groups (Jewel would love it there), bluegrass bands and classical music. In my humble opinion, we need to start looking at the components of our budding arts scene as a whole. Despite the obvious risks of factions and jealousy, it might not be a bad idea to form some sort of Arts Council to compare ideas and collect generic grants and donations that could be funneled where needed. "I think we have a responsibility to work together," says Virginia Center for the Creative Arts director Suny Monk. This could be beautiful. Laurant is local columnist for The News & Advance. He can be reached via e-mail at todurl@hotmail.com. |