This past weekend was life-changing for me.  I attended an Artist Development Project workshop, underwritten by the Minnesota State Arts Board, in partnership with Springboard for the Arts and Creative Capital (a NY-based foundation that supports artists).  Since I’m still compiling the information I learned, I’m saving it all as a post for tomorrow.  You’d think the concepts would be applicable only to artists, but no, they’re accessible (and valuable) to anyone.  How you treat yourself is how others will treat you.  How you design your business (or life) will be how successful it is (and I don’t mean monetarily).  Amazing stuff.  I’ve never had my view transformed so quickly and so radically.  Things are going to start changing around here!  So.  Let’s get to that tomorrow.

Today, I wanted to ask a question.  It’s an ethical question–at least to me–one that’s been bothering me for some time.

USA Today posted an article entitled “First Baptist Church of Dallas Pledges Record $115M for 3-year Building Renovation.” Members of the church have pledged to contribute this amount over the next three years, to “reshape the historic downtown church.”

Question: What would this money look like, if applied to organizations and/or individuals and/or communities who are suffering below or at poverty level?  How do large, beautiful buildings help promote a message of peace, of equality, of love?  Many of these buildings (not all, I realize) sit vacant most of the week, and the expense of running such beasts is astronomical.

Let me quickly add that my husband and I have donated such lump sums to building projects, and we’ve had to rethink such giving.  Instead, we pick other avenues, where most of the money will arrive on the intended recipient’s doorstep (figuratively speaking, of course).  [We can only hope, anyway.]

What do you think?

The subject came up this weekend, too, but the question was applied to art.  Would someone who bought a dead artist’s artwork for 1.4 million dollars better serve the community if he/she poured his/her money into living artists who are struggling.  That amount of money would fund numerous projects or galleries or venues.

It’s something to think about anyway.  How best do we serve those around us?

[Post image: First Baptist Church of Dallas photo gallery on Ascendio]