In DuPage County, there are many places to go for cultural enrichment, entertainment, indoor or outdoor recreation, and family related activities. These various institutions and attractions provide relief from the pressures of everyday life, a chance to reflect and learn and opportunities for families to spend increasingly “precious” time together. In doing so, they contribute to better mental health and happier families. Recreational opportunities of a physical nature, such as biking, hiking, golf or park district athletic programs, provide the added benefit of improved physical health and an important alternative to the sedentary lifestyles that contribute to our increasing rate of obesity.

It’s important that residents take time out of their busy schedules to experience all that DuPage has to offer, whether it’s a musical or dance performance, a movie, a ride on the state’s largest indoor roller coaster, a museum visit, or a stroll on the Illinois Prairie Path. Adults need to remember what it’s like to be children, and to take the time to explore, experiment, play, learn, and grow with their children. The opportunities are there to discover and enjoy!

The state of the arts and leisure in DuPage County is, as yet, largely unevaluated. There is a great deal of work to be done before a comprehensive overview of the range of existing and potential arts and leisure opportunities can begin. First and foremost, a clear definition of this sector and a rationale for its inclusion in Tapestry needs to be developed.

Since the primary goal of Tapestry is to “unite community members to address complex and interrelated issues, to foster new dialogues, improve communication and link community services”, a comprehensive and representative group of community leaders need to be convened to answer the following key questions: · What is the importance of arts and leisure to our community? · What is its relevance to an overall community health? · What role do arts and leisure organizations play in other, already identified, goals? · How will we measure success in this arena?

It would also be important for the leadership of this sector to make clear the vital role it plays in many other community goals already recognized in Tapestry. A full list of active arts and leisure organizations in DuPage County would be extensive. It is a vibrant and very successful sector of this community and has grown exponentially over the past ten years. There are measures available that no one is currently tracking, that might help in an evaluation of our progress in this arena such as: attendance at museums and performance venues; participation in Park District programs; membership levels at YMCA’s and YWCA’s and health clubs; and the many emerging arts and leisure partnerships with other sectors in our community such as education, social services, and the environment.

Arts and Leisure organizations are mainstream contributors to the quality of life in so many ways in our DuPage communities. It is in our best interest to fully explore and document the contributions they make to a healthy DuPage.