Years ago, I was attending a conference where a colleague from the University of Texas received an award. He was and still is a very brilliant musician, teacher, and composer of electronic music, admired by his peers. As he was accepting the award, I happened to be seated at a table next to one of his students. She was a young undergraduate who said that studying with him was an amazing privilege and experience, and that he had given her wonderful instruction and insights. Later that day, I passed along the compliment to him. He thanked me, saying how much it meant to hear it, and that such affirmation from a student seldom got back to him. People are often too awkward to say anything, and it seldom gets back to us. This time it did, and he was quite moved. This event has stuck with me ever since.

More recently, I encountered a similar situation. I was at a restaurant having lunch with a group of colleagues when the waitperson, a bright, lively young woman, approached one of us, a classical music broadcaster who had worked his life in music and who was pondering his career ahead. It was a time of uncertainty for him. Well, this young woman mentioned how she listened to his show every morning even though she wasn’t a musician and had no previous predilection for the classical repertoire. His voice and approach made the connection for her, made a joyful impact in her life. This revelation made his day…and that of everyone at the table. It was just a beautiful moment. Amazing! How many more of such people were listening to him, being reached by his voice? Hundreds? Thousands? There is really no way of knowing with accuracy, but this one acknowledgment provided him with a great deal of encouragement at a crucial point.

What part of the positive energy which we impart on others is passed on and made known, let alone explicitly acknowledged. It must be precious little. There is no possible way to know how much we and our presence and actions mean to others. Those so affected may not even realize it, themselves, until long after we are separated from them. Sometimes when I am among a group of artists or teaching artists, I remind them of this. What they are doing has great value, more than they can know. They just have to take it on faith that their import, impact, their contributions is real.

What does all of this have to do with arts funding? Everything! A grant, especially when preceded by a site visit, is more than just the money, crucial though that is. It is a vote of confidence, an affirmation bearing its own, distinctive type of support. Case in point: a recent grantee, to whom we made a site visit, was kind enough to send an email stating, “(Y)our gift carries a quiet but powerful message: You see the value in what we’re trying to do. That encouragement… gives us a sense of energy and affirmation.” Yes! 

The value of affirmation is especially significant with  small organizations.  They don’t have big development departments to help get their message out and grant applications submitted. It’s hard enough being in the arts these days. Funding has been cut by institutional donors, both government and corporate, profit and nonprofit. Funding requests can go out with little or no response or feedback. Having been a grant writer before a grant maker, I have been on that side of the situation. Being an individual or small organization, working for the sake of the art and of the discipline is a special calling and challenge.

The power of encouragement is an amazing motivator which, I am convinced, happens far too seldom. It requires the impetus, the catalyst of acknowledgment. People doing great work need to hear about it. With that in mind, I have this message for our grantees and convening partners.

We care about your work, your art, your songs, your scenes, your steps, your cels, your phrases, and your students.We endeavor to show you not only with the awards, but with our site visits, our presence at your studios and performance halls. Your work is the result of training, talent, curricula, ongoing thought, and toil. You programmers, performers, designers, teaching artists, volunteers, and staff are all crucial elements. We know that and appreciate it. Thanks for your service, your work, your art. It means a lot.

Are you a concertgoer, a student, an arts admirer, a professional or amateur? Has someone’s work moved you recently? Or was it a lesson, a thought, an ideal? Let them know. It will mean a lot.