Nicole Haagenson, State Representative Candidate, District 54
Q 1: How do you view public investment in the Arts & Cultural sector as it contributes to the economic vitality of St. Lucie?
RESPONSE: I support public investment in the Arts and Cultural sectors. Public funding, especially through the public school system and in public displays, increases the attractiveness of the County to those considering moving to or visiting.
Q 2: As an elected official, how would you work to make Arts & Culture a part of your economic development policies?
RESPONSE: I would focus my attention on the public educational system in the County, including Indian River State College. Business growth and re-location depends on a stable, viable, and talented workforce. I am a proponent of the inclusion of the “Arts” as part of the normal school curriculum (Science, Technology, Engineering, ARTS, and Math). I will support policies and budgets that work toward that end.
Q 3: How would you describe the significance of art education programs and how would you support the continuation and growth of similar educational contributions within St. Lucie?
RESPONSE: Students that participate in arts education outperform those that do not in virtually all subject fields. The arts open up a student’s creative potential and that is what encourages experimentation and exploration. This yearning to know, to learn, is the engine of responding to the future’s unknown.
Q 4: Do you support public investment for Arts & Cultural initiatives to further develop St. Lucie County as a cultural destination?
RESPONSE: Yes. As a representative of this District in Tallahassee, I will support increased funding of Arts and Cultural initiatives that benefit this District.
Q 5: How have you supported Arts & Culture in St. Lucie County through your work in public office and/or as a private citizen?
RESPONSE: As a private citizen, I have supported art and cultural programs by my attendance at concerts, plays, and programs offered by Indian River State College and Sunrise Theater. I also purchase art from local artists and frequent the downtown Art Walk in Indian River County and the Vero Beach Museum of Art, where I live. I also host a company marketplace each quarter at my office. Employees bring in homemade goods, and fruits and vegetables from their gardens to trade and share with each other. This is also a fundraiser for local charities. Our last one raised money for an Iraq and Afghanistan monument (an art installation), that will be built in 2019 and will be located at Veteran’s Memorial Island in Vero Beach, Florida.