Arts and Culture in Your District

Cape Cod is blessed with a rich mix of arts & cultural organizations. Please name two places in the district where you have had personally significant arts and cultural experiences.

Cape Cod Symphony – Over the past few years, I have attended multiple performances of the Cape Cod Symphony at the Barnstable Performing Arts Center. It has been great to be able to not have to travel long distances in order to see professional classical musicians.

Hyannis Town Green – I formally attended Barnstable Town Band performances on the Village Green during past summers. I’m now proud to say I joined the Barnstable Town Band this summer as a percussionist.

Arts Education and Programs for our Youth

Creativity and innovation are vital skills in a student’s education and in workforce development in our 21stcentury economy. How will you champion arts education? Would you support joining ten other states to make one year of arts education in high school a requirement for admission to the state university system?

Yes – I would be in high support of joining ten other states with a requirement for arts education in order for admission to the state university system. In terms of championing arts education, I would be overjoyed to write bills and propose related legislation if elected. I’d also be happy to work with local arts and cultural organizations on the Cape in order to formulate such bills.

Economic Development

There are countless vacant buildings and storefronts from Falmouth to Provincetown, including the Hibel and Armory buildings in downtown Hyannis. What incentive might you use to entice landlords and/or businesses to partner up with our local artists to bring new life to vacant main street buildings?

In order to entice landlords and/or businesses to partner up with local artists to bring new life to vacant main street buildings, I’d like to propose a land value tax incentive program. Land value tax incentives work by only taxing a property by the initial accessed value for when it was acquired. Therefore, when businesses and artists improve the accessed value of abandoned or vacant buildings over time, they are able to save on their property taxes.

I believe that the legislature could propose a widespread land use tax incentive bill for creative community developments across the state.

Addressing Cape Cod’s Socioeconomic Issues

Cape Cod faces many economic and social issues, among them homelessness, addiction, and limited services for both youth and seniors. Can you provide examples on how you would integrate the arts, culture, and creative community in solving the district’s social and economic challenges?

I’d like to work to partner non-profit organizations across the Cape with local musicians, artists and cultural centers. I think it would be great to make the arts accessible to any member of the community – especially with music, where instruments and spaces to practice can be costly.

I believe that robust economic growth is always a product of a strong community. Therefore, I think that helping connect people, no matter their socio-economic status, via creative outlets would be extremely productive.