New Hingham Arts Alliance: ‘Engagement in the arts benefits children, adults, and senior citizens’

April 26, 2022 By Carol Britton Meyer

The mission of the newly-created Hingham Arts Alliance is to enhance support, advocacy, and awareness for the arts within the Hingham Public Schools and the wider Hingham community.

Co-Founders Yvette Kanter and Ann Marie Schembri and other members of the HAA team believe that a robust arts curriculum and a vibrant, creative community are "markers of a healthy town" and that investment in the arts "is more important than ever -- for our kids, our schools, and our town."

Others involved with this non-profit organization include Vice President Kate Mitchell, Secretary Alison Chamberlain, Treasurer Eileen Bevens, Donna MacLellan, Kristin Buckley, Holly Moriarty, Josh Ross, Elise Warhaftig, and Monica Tesler.

"We are doing this to celebrate the arts in Hingham and to enhance the arts in our schools and community for our children, our neighbors, and our senior citizens," Kanter told the Hingham Anchor.

HAA is based on the premise that participation in the arts contributes to success at school and work and in life and that everyone should have an opportunity to explore the arts since engagement in the arts benefits children, adults, and senior citizens.

Accordingly, among HAA's efforts will be to raise awareness for "all the amazing art coming out of Hingham," including the fine arts, music, drama, and the industrial arts, for all age levels.

Another is to organize events that showcase Hingham's artists and to highlight arts events that are happening around town.

HAA members believe that participation in the arts "is correlated to improvements in measures of self-confidence, self-awareness, and compassion," as well as the ability to look at problems from more than one viewpoint.

Schembri explained that HAA's goal is to "have a broader voice and advocacy for the entire arts community. We're not looking to replace the smaller booster groups, but to work with them," she said. "I think there is more power in a larger voice that is inclusive of all ages and types of art, from those who make a career of it to others who are exploring their artistic interests."

Ross, who covers Hingham sports for a living, has the opportunity to see on a daily basis "the tremendous positive impact" that having leaders and organizations supporting and promoting a program can have on children’s lives.

While the individual support groups for the different arts programs have done "an amazing job" over the years, there are two things missing to help get the arts programs in Hingham to the next level, according to Ross.

"First is a district arts director in the schools, which seems likely to happen shortly after Town Meeting," he explained. "Second is a townwide organization dedicated to foster, support, and promote the arts -- much like the Hingham Sports Partnership does for sports and the Hingham Education Foundation does for education."

As a photographer and writer, Ross's world is a mix of arts and sports.  "I believe it’s way beyond time to bring the level of engagement, recognition, and celebration of the arts to that of sports in Hingham," he said.  "I'm proud to be part of the Hingham Arts Alliance and am looking forward to all of the great things to come for our children and for our residents, who will also benefit from this effort.”

Warhaftig feels that HAA is the "missing piece in this town" to complement the work of the Hingham Sports Partnership and the Hingham Education Foundation. "Now that we have a group focusing on the arts, we are on a path to becoming a more well-rounded town," she said. "Art, whether visual or performing, is meant to be shared -- and now with the establishment of the HAA, we can work to improve the sharing and visibility of all forms of the arts in Hingham."

According to HAA organizers and statistics:

•  The arts support educational performance. According to data from the College Boards SAT in 2015, students who took four years of art and music classes while in high school scored an average of 92 points higher on their SATs than students who took only one-half year or less of arts and music.
• Just 45 minutes of creative activity significantly lowered cortisol levels and stress, regardless of artistic ability, according to a Drexel University study. A consistent correlation was also shown between younger participants and lowered cortisol levels, indicating that young people in particular could benefit greatly from the de-stressing powers of art.
• Art therapy for senior citizens improves cognition, increases self-esteem, reduces depression and anxiety, offers sensory stimulation, and provides a sense of control as reported in George Washington University’s Creativity and Aging Study.
• 72 percent of business leaders say that creativity is the number one skill they are looking for when hiring, according to a study by Americans for the Arts.
  Local community arts groups include The Company Theatre, Norwell; Bosse School of Music, Weymouth; Cohasset Dramatic Club; Hingham Community Center dance programs;  Hingham Civic Music Theatre; Hingham Recreation Department arts and "Funky Feet" dance programs; the International Ballet Academy, Norwell; Kids Cabaret and Missy's Movement, Hingham; South Shore Arts Center, Cohasset; South Shore Ballet Theatre, Spotlight Music and Theatre Academy, Sunwray Art Studio, and South Shore Conservatory, Hingham; and the Hingham-based Unicorn Singers.

"I have met so many amazing, creative people who are involved with the arts, and this experience has expanded my horizons," Schembri said. "I am so excited to be part of this community, where there are so many interesting, creative thinkers who are kind and inclusive. It's the kind of town that I want to raise my kids in."

Upcoming events include the HPS Annual Student Art Show at Hingham High School on April 28, from 6 to 8 p.m. and the HHS Chamber players and Chamber Winds Concert on May 4 at 7 p.m. at the Hingham Middle School.

Visit www.hinghamartsalliance.org for further information, to volunteer, or to make a donation in support of grants toward grades K-12 art education, arts programs, events, and art-based opportunities in the Hingham Public Schools as well as the wider Hingham community.

To get involved with this effort, email info@hinghamtsalliance.org.

"Our hope is that everyone in town will follow the Hingham Arts Alliance Facebook page and our website and support us. We want everyone to become part of our story," Warhaftig said. "This new group is not meant just for people with kids interested in the arts. Rather, we aim to establish a greater awareness of the arts for the entire Hingham community.

Having a strong arts representation in town with the support of the Hingham Arts Alliance benefits everyone -- from our youngest citizens to our oldest senior citizens -- and we look forward to engaging with all of these different groups."