David, his wife Dina, and their three children, Michael, 18, Jenna, 13 and Jack, 11, moved to St. Joseph in 2009, and now proudly call St. Joseph their home.
The arts are a part of everyday life for the Cripes.
“The parental philosophy I was raised under, and the philosophy Dina and I believe in, is that to deny our children an education of the arts including a consistent exposure to a wide spectrum of art forms is on par with denying them decent balanced nutrition.
“I was taught at an early age, and I still believe, that children involved in art programs in school (band, choral, theater, etc.) generally perform better than those that do not. It’s simply good for you—psychologically and physically,” said Cripe.
In a news release, he said he wants this year’s Arts Fund campaign to be successful.
“The economic impact of the arts in our community is tremendous—not to mention the cultural impact which may be immeasurable. Many non-profit organizations would not exist or at least would not be as capable to support their mission without the support of campaigns such as the Arts Fund. The arts are what make us human—the creativity, beauty, precision and emotion of quality art can define quality of life to some people, myself included,” said Cripe.
The Arts Fund is an annual united campaign in support of the activities of the Allied Arts Council, Creative Arts Productions, Midwest Artist Association, Performing Arts Association, RiverSong, St. Joseph Community Chorus, and Saint Joseph Symphony.