Valeria Ortiz

Fogelson
English Comp 103
February 24, 2016

Project Proposal
Art in it most purest form is a representation of the human mind. It can transcend the
traditional barriers that come with racial, cultural and social prejudices and can provide a unique
learning experience for both novices and professionals. It is undeniable that art has an invaluable
presence in our lives, especially within our education. So why is it that it is grossly
underrepresented? In a city of roughly around 120,000 people, it can be quite difficult to find
ways to integrate art into our daily lives, especially within our school systems. 27.3% of the
population of Surprise, Arizona consists of persons under the age of 18 (US Census Bureau).
That is a major chunk of the population, that unfortunately, are not given the adequate tools
needed to enrich their lives outside of school. As proactive citizens my collaborators and I have
taken on the feat of uniting Surprise as a community and encouraging students to express their
creativity through healthy and legal outlets. Our solution is clear: we propose to develop an
immersive arts and cultural center targeted directly towards teenagers not just in Surprise, but in
the surrounding area (which includes but is not limited to El Mirage, Glendale, Goodyear,
Peoria), as well as urging our state legislators to allocate more money towards the arts in
Arizona.
Our vision to build, create and host a cultural center made to celebrate art and selfexpression among the teenagers in Surprise is one that will greatly benefit a lot of burgeoning
artists in the West Valley. We aim to work closely with schools and educational facilities to

bolster their curriculum and encourage the arts. We will hold festivals, classes, workshops and
promote an all around sense of community. Along with our center, we also strive to create lasting
change in our legislature by talking directly with our state congressmen to see if proper funds can
be allocated towards promoting art in schools all over Arizona. We must work hard to
indoctrinate this appreciation for the arts, and demonstrate to all of our young artists that if the
arts are what they want to pursue, they are fully able to do so. Developing a program of this
magnitude will be no easy feat; that's why it's important to talk to those who are experts in their
field that truly understand the nuances of local government. For example, Connie Whitlock is
the founder of the non-profit WHAM cultural arts center here in Surprise, Arizona. She would be
an invaluable resource that we could truly use to help jumpstart our program.
However, despite the potential of our project, not everybody agrees with the premise of
our initiative. They do not see the benefits of funding arts, when athletics and academics are so
prevalent. Yet the benefits of a bolstered art program are quite staggering. Studies have actually
shown that an increased expenditure on the arts during a time of economic turmoil, actually
provided positive returns to the United States economic market: in 2012 our industry generated
$135.2 billion, and $61.1 billion of that came from the nations nonprofit art and culture
organizations in addition to $74.1 billion in event-related expenditures by their audiences
(Dorfman). The numbers prove that these art initiatives are actually vital towards the recovery of
our economy, in areas such as tourism, job development, and increased consumerism. By
working together, we can singlehandedly mold Arizona youth into embracing art in their lives
forever.