How the Arts impact your world…something to ponder...
This is a
meme that is going around Facebook currently.
Every time I see it, I cringe.
Yes, I do understand that art as a whole helps the masses appreciate culture. The underlying attitude of the third sentence
is killing art from an economic stand point.
So why pay and support artists? If the public doesn’t, artists don’t
teach, they don’t create, and they move into different employment.
There are
times that I wonder if folks really understand how art impacts our daily
life. Look around and think about it as
you move along your day. Like the house you live in…thank an architect. Like listening to music on your way to work…thank the musicians and singers. Like the novel you are reading…thank the writers. Like those cartoons in the paper…thank a cartoonist. Like those pretty photos on the internet…thank a photographer. Like the lovely patterns on your pillow, clothes, or shower curtain…thank an artist or a designer or digital artist. Like those lovely school photos or your wedding album…thank a photographer. Do your kids enjoy the Disney movies…thank an animator. Or the wonderful books…thank an illustrator, watercolorist, printmaker, and/or writer. Or the colorful plush toys…thank a designer. Don't even get me started on all the things that digital artists create within our daily life.
And the list
goes on and on and on…even to the car that you drive. That’s not even thinking about all those
Super Bowl commercials or the Urban Planners that add parks for those weekend
jaunts. The art and cultural activities
help grow, strengthen, and/or revitalize communities. Think about an art district in any city and
how real estate values rise in that area…thank a lot of artists.
So when I
see a meme such as the above, I wonder how many people actually think about the
long term causal effects. It is directly tangible to our future. Maybe that’s the
deep structure issue…
So it all
comes down to this…you do expect to work at a 9-5 and not get paid? Do you expect your plumber or dentist to work
for free? If you are involved with an art organization
or art business, think about the impact your attitude displays to the
masses. If you are an average person,
don’t take the artists for granted. They
live to create and better the world though those creations.
Off my soapbox...I'm off to the studio...~Moon