Opinion: A San Diego arts organization helps build the new American economy

A Vanguard Values event at the Soap Factory in Logan Heights in October Photo by Amanda San Martin Vanguard Values If we truly believe that innovation drives progress then supporting the arts is not an act of charity it is an act of national strategy The arts are where imagination meets implementation and where our collective future begins But it depends on collaboration between artists cultural organizations educators business leaders and city governments Largest part people enjoy the arts whether it s music theater dance or film painting sculpture or photography poetry design or digital media Yet scarce of us stop to realize that the arts are not just entertainment They are central to the new financial system The arts cultivate imagination critical thinking and the ability to see patterns and possibilities where others see limits These are precisely the skills needed to design bold solutions build inclusive communities and adapt to a rapidly changing global marketplace It s no longer sufficient to say that the arts are vital We must make it clear that they are essential a cornerstone of civic life and economic vitality By integrating the arts into training urban planning and workforce improvement we are not indulging a cultural preference we are investing in America s creative commercial sector That s why an organization here in San Diego called Vanguard Custom is so vital Positioned as a creative and economic catalyst for the region and beyond it is a c nonprofit dedicated to advancing San Diego s creative industries The organization produces award-winning arts journalism cutting-edge events and professional rise programs that create arts jobs bring diverse communities together and inspire collaboration across disciplines from the visual and performing arts to the culinary and digital realms And it seeks to encourage artists and arts organizations to know and patronage one another But this description only scratches the surface Vanguard Beliefs represents a model for what local arts leadership can be in the st century nimble inclusive interdisciplinary and economically strategic It bridges the gap between custom and commerce between creative expression and civic innovation In an era when multiple arts institutions struggle to survive Vanguard Values has revealed procedures to thrive by redefining what it means to be both an arts organization and a group catalyst It connects artists to entrepreneurs educators to policymakers and audiences to ideas Former San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee once remarked Cities in the current era are the engines of the greatest surge in innovation creativity and obstacle solving in human history and cities that think of themselves as platforms will become stronger attract better talent and become smarter from the bottom up His words ring truer in contemporary times than ever What he and others are now saying is that creativity is economic power and in this new era success is no longer measured solely by industrial output or arena share Innovation has become the new currency and creativity is its foundation From artificial intelligence to design thinking from biotech to sustainable architecture the creative process fuels discovery and reinvention Without creativity capitalism risks becoming an engine of repetition rather than a force for renewal The arts are not a luxury they are the soul of innovation John M Eger is professor emeritus in the School of Journalism and Media Studies at San Diego State University He previously served as telecommunications advisor to President Gerald R Ford legal assistant to FCC Chairman Dean Burch and Senior Vice President of CBS