The arts have an incredible ability to connect us, enrich our lives, inspire us and entice emotion, but as LEAD San Diego’s IMPACT cohort recently discussed, arts and culture provide much more than simple enjoyment.

“It’s not just about entertainment and leisure,” said Dalouge Smith, President and CEO of the San Diego Youth Symphony and Conservatory.  He suggested San Diego’s arts and culture community is about much more – community identity, neighborhood cohesion, creativity, education, sustainability, redevelopment and economic activity.

Through the session’s presenters – which included representatives from San Diego Natural History Museum, San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego Museum of Man, Museum of Photographic Arts, Balboa Park Celebration EDGE 2015, the City of San Diego and the Balboa Park Cultural Partnership  – the cohort learned the true contribution arts and culture organizations provide to our community. The group heard about how local museums serve our community through environmental sustainability efforts; how artist districts can act as seeds for redeveloping communities; and how our vibrant arts and culture community stimulates more than $170 million in spending and supports a workforce of nearly 6,000 individuals.

Having relished the few art history classes my coursework would allow in college, this idea reminded me of the framework through which I had studied – what a culture’s artwork said about its values and way of life.

As we spoke about the 2015 Centennial Celebration of Balboa Park, the center of cultural life in our region, I began to wonder what San Diegans in 2115 would learn from the arts we create today. Would they see the revitalization in our communities, the diversity of our neighborhoods and the pride San Diegans have for their city?

Creating a lasting arts and culture legacy isn’t just the responsibility of art patrons, it’s up to all San Diegans to foster the opportunities this community brings to our region. With more than 1,120 volunteer board positions and 11,600 arts and culture volunteer opportunities in San Diego, there’s no shortage of ways to get involved. So find what moves you, get involved and help shape the impact of San Diego’s arts and culture for future generations.

The transformative power of art has long been known to people whose lives have been touched by it, but the ability of arts and culture to transform not only individuals, but communities at large hasn’t been given nearly as much attention.  This was the focus of a recent LEAD San Diego IMPACT session, and Councilman Todd Gloria beautifully captured the theme of the day.

“Art is not elective … it’s essential to a vibrant city,” said Gloria.

Gloria — along with other speakers, many from Balboa Park’s museums and other institutions — spoke about our city’s arts and culture offerings, and about the upcoming 2015 Balboa Park centennial celebration.

With a mission to “Celebrate a ‘year of creativity’ that brings together innovative experiences with art, culture, nature, technology and science,” the celebration is aimed at reinvigorating and elevating the park for San Diegans and visitors alike.  While specifics are under development, enthusiasm for the event is palatable, and you can’t help but feel the celebration will be something big; something defining not only for the park, but also for us as San Diegans.

“2015 is going to be the coming out party for San Diego’s creative class,” said developer David Malmuth, whose vision for arts and culture stems well beyond park boundaries.

In addition to discussing the park, Malmuth spoke to the cohort about his vision of merging art, culture, commerce and place with the I.D.E.A. district, a mixed-use district driven by a Design jobs cluster, nourished by Education, enriched by the Arts and focused on Innovation. In addition to creating “more ideas per square foot,” Malmuth says the district will not only inspire creativity, but spur economic development.

Whether talking about the upcoming Balboa Park centennial, the I.D.E.A. district or a particular museum exhibition, IMPACT attendees couldn’t helped but be moved. After all, being a San Diegan is about more than where we live and work. It’s about where we play and enjoy our lives. It’s about where our interests lie and where our sense of curiosity and wonder can be sparked, and arts and culture make San Diego what it is today.

With this perspective in mind, the message to current and future leaders is clear: advocating for arts and culture shouldn’t be something left to the “arts community” alone, but rather something we all support. And, with 2015 just around the corner, I can’t help but ask, will you join the party?