Lately I've been going with my friend Drew to the Seaman men's basketball games on Friday night to watch his brother, Bryce Simons, one of our city's top varsity b-ballers, play and get scouted. The environment is awesome: parents, grandparents, teachers, friends, coaches, players, cheerleaders, band members, little kids—babies—everyone turns out to support, eat, catch up, watch.

When ArtsConnect met here for its Round Table breakfast last friday, we addressed the on-going challenge of re-seeding our arts community with younger people as Topeka's population ages. Mentally I exchanged arts community with sports community and imagined us asking the same questions in that context. It became suddenly obvious they embrace a philosophy that our arts community talks about but inconsistently does.

Children of all ages are welcome in the gym and their presense is normal. I've been hit in the head at least twice by a Nerf basketball at Viking games. If I have gum, the littles forwardly ask for some. They ask why my hair is two colors, if I'm hot in my sweatshirt and tell me to take it off. They bump into me constantly throughout the first half while they still have energy. The youngest ones can't tell you the rules but they know when to scream. Babies have no clue what's happening and sleep through everything. It doesn't seem to matter how much information is absorbed or if everyone "gets it". The important thing is that families are together infusing each other with passion for a common interest.

My brother and I complained but it didn't stop my parents from dragging us to stuff like Oklahoma! performed in the Lindsbourg KS park amphitheater or Brighton Beach Memoirs (starring teen supercrush Matthew Broderick) on Broadway. We went to Topeka's annual performance of the Nutcracker (tried out one year—hated performing) and saw Rudolf Nureyev at the Met. From the Tiffany windows at First Presbyterian Church to the Isenheim Altarpiece in Colmar, France, regardless of age or immediate interest we were always, always included. My dad took us along to the Menninger film series and various guest lectures, and although much of the subject matter was over my head, I remember feeling a sense of relevance—that I was included in serious discussion and my opinions were of interest to the people around me. How can we forge "artnerships" with parents, grandparents and guardians in our community so they feel comfortable bringing their children to our museums, galleries, auditoriums, theaters? How do we break the habit of perpetuating the notion that opening receptions, recitals—the symphony—isn't an exclusive activity for adults? We can't throw Nerf balls and scream, but we can definately do better. Or do it outside.

High school sports support is a shared responsibility. Those of us involved locally in museums, galleries and performing arts are noticing fewer and fewer young people coming into the fold. Certainly we're witnessing side effects of art curriculum decline in primary and secondary education, but we can't forfeit all responsibility to our schools. Parents are notorious for contributing personal time and energy to provide funds and coaching support when school sports programs are pulled due to budget cuts. How can we forge stronger "artnerships" between schools, teachers and parents so the arts are just as critical to our livlihood as that bucket of nachos from the Viking concession stand?

High school sports are inter-generational. It's pretty funny watching the Simons pack on a Friday night. Everyone has their own routine (screamstanding, sitwooing, eatclapping) and no one seems to care how old anyone is or what age they're acting. It's incredibly social and everyone knows everyone else. Interest regenerates naturally and no one is left out. Ultimately people go to support the Vikings, but it's a loaded social and cultural event, too. That keeps the community alive. It becomes more than just a basketball game. How can we forge "artnerships" between people of all ages and backgrounds so the torch remains lit as it passes from our core supporters to the recently initiated?

Passion for the game starts in the womb. So does a passion for the arts.