Vice Mitchell // Democrat (A+)

1. Should government invest in funding the arts and humanities at fiscally responsible levels?

Answer: Yes

2. Do you support investing money into K-12 arts and humanities education at fiscally responsible levels?

Answer: Yes

3. Do you believe that arts and humanities education should be required in the k-12 curriculum?

Answer: Yes

4. Do you consider the arts and culture sector to be an economic driver in Utah?

Answer: Yes

5. Do you support Utah's Percent-for-Art Act, which designates 1% of public building costs for public art?

Answer: Yes

6. Do you support preserving the Utah Historic Preservation Tax Credit?

Answer: Yes

7. Do you support policy that positively impacts tourism, such as the creation of historic and cultural districts?

Answer: Yes

8. Have you had a personal experience with arts, culture, or humanities that has had an impact on your life? Please explain. (responses to this question were not graded)

Answer:

"I am a professional artist. As a young student, I had teachers that mentored my artistic ability and encouraged my creativity. Even when my parents and family had no idea how to direct a kid who only wanted to draw cartoons and play guitar, they still encouraged my creativity and never made me feel afraid for my future. I enjoy my career as an artist as well as my hobbies in music.

Creative people are critical thinkers and out-of-the-box problem solvers and it is important to understand that creativity is NOT a talent that only a few special people possess. Creative intelligence and imagination exist in all children and we as parents see proof of this every day. It is this creative intelligence that lets us imagine, that allows our minds to shape things that are not present, which do not exist and what we have never experienced. We encourage creativity in all of our children, whether artistic or otherwise. Creativity uses imagination and applies it to what is new, to solve problems, and even to formulate new ones. Today’s professional world requires people to employ creative thinking for self-improvement and innovation.

We need more creative intelligence in our government, which is why I am running for office. Buckminster Fuller said, "You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete." "