It is widely believed that artists often receive very low wages, so the government should subsidize artists to help them sustain their work. In my opinion, although it is the duty of the government to provide financial support to artists as they contribute to cultural heritage, it can discourage artists from finding alternative means of earning money, and there are other sectors which deserve more fundings.
Since art contributes to the cultural and social values which are often ignored by the market; therefore, government must financially support artists. In other words, the market only focuses on what is economically viable and what is in demand, rather than what is culturally significant. Therefore, if the government provides grants to artists, it can preserve the culture and history of a nation. For example, South Korea’s government heavily subsidized the film and music industry of the country, even though it was not econimically self-sufficient and did not generate a lot of money. This included funding, training, and infrastructure. It resulted in what is today known as the Korean Wave, including K-pop, K-dramas, and Korean cinema.
On the other hand, government subsidies can discourage artists from finding other platforms to earn money. That means, if monetary aids are provided without cosidering the work of artists and without audience demands, it can make artists too much dependant on fundings. The job of artists is to constantly seek for public opinion and create work according to that, but providing financial support can prevent it. As a result artists may produce work completely disconnected from the public, which may prevent them from innovating in their field. Moreover, public fundings should be utilised in those sectors where it is needed the most, such as healthcare, education, and infrastructure. For example, if the government fundings are used to buy more hospital beds and to hire more capable school staff, that would be more beneficial to a society, rather than providing more funds to artists.
In conclusion, artists should receive public fundings because they can preserve cultural heritage; however, this funding can often prevent artists from producing quality work and it must be allocated to more significant areas.