While looking around this morning and checking the news, I came across this startling piece. The Baltimore Opera company is closing its doors for the rest of the 2008-2009 season and filing for bankruptcy. I know I shouldn’t be surprised to see this, as there are many companies that are going under due to the economy, but this one hits pretty close to home. Not only is it in my hometown, but the flute teacher that I took lessons from when I still wanted to be a music major was the principal flute player for the Baltimore Opera.

It just doesn’t seem possible to me that this very well-respected art organization is closing its doors. I mean, all I keep thinking of is how amazing she is at playing the flute and how at one point she even played for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. The only thing setting my mind at ease about her, though, is the fact that she has several students to teach, she also works as a  school teacher and professor and she does several other little music things on the side. But, I guess the falling state of the economy is taking a toll on everything, even the arts.

In a way, this is beginning to worry me. As an international studies/film major and someone who wants to go into an art field and has several friends who are as well, I’m concerned as to what kind of job awaits me when I graduate and have to begin living in the “real world”. (Not that college isn’t the “real world”, but I will have to start paying those loans back soon.) Will I be able to work as a filmmaker and photographer, or will I be forced back into a desk job because an art-based job will not pay the rent? (No joke or wit intended there.) And what’s going to happen to the arts, all of them, if this is the case? Will they just disappear? I hope not!