Lately, Vashon-Maury Island has seen and heard its share of performers from off-islanders who are culturally and ethnically diverse.

This is particularly true in October when the Vashon Center for the Arts announced it was welcoming three musicians as part of the annual Seattle-based Earshot Jazz Festival. They are jazz vocalist LaVon Hardison (who performed Friday, Oct. 4); vibraphone wunderkind Joel Ross (who performed Friday, Oct. 18); and Cuban jazz master Kiki Valera (scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 25).

And then, several local groups hosted a screening on Thursday, Oct. 17, at Vashon Island High School of the 2018 film “The Hate U Give” — about a black woman who witnesses a police officer shoot her childhood friend — followed by a reading and discussion with poets and from the Seattle’s African American Writer’s Alliance.

These are only a few examples of group efforts to bring different perspectives to the island and foster inclusivity. All islanders, young and old, should attend these events whenever possible.

But two of the aforementioned events were reportedly sparsely attended.

Allison Halstead Reid, the interim executive director of VCA, told The Beachcomber that Ross’s performance only filled just over 100 seats of the Katherine L White Hall’s 300.

And one islander, Katie Bunnell, wrote a letter to the editor this week saying the high school auditorium’s screening of “The Hate U Give” was only half full.

In her letter, Bunnell called the lack of attendance “a missed opportunity” for “profound discussion” between students and teachers.

Although she was disappointed in how many people showed up to see Ross, Halstead Reid noted that the artist got a standing ovation for his performance.

Whatever the case for low attendance at these events, VCA’s interim executive director believes one thing is true: Living on an island can, in some ways, demotivate people from exploring the arts further than they should.

“It’s easy for us to just say, ‘it’s too much work to … go see that,’” Halstead Reid said. “If we don’t expose ourselves to those diverse elements of art or social engagements of any kind, we’re living in a bubble.”

The Beachcomber agrees. Just because Vashon-Maury lacks the diverse population and amenities of communities on the east side of Puget Sound does not mean islanders cannot look for ways to seek enrichment by exposing themselves to backgrounds and cultures different from them.

And, if anything, rural communities should be constantly looking for ways to help their people see and hear different cultures. Sure, the Washington State Arts Commission is dedicated to fostering the arts in communities throughout the state — but oftentimes, it’s efforts at the community level that have the biggest impact.

So to any organization on the island that is working toward this goal: More power to you. And islanders, make these efforts count by getting out of the house to see and hear something artsy.