The general point of view of artists and their relationship to government funding is rather two-sided: while some state that government assistance should be the norm in supporting artistry, others are not convinced so assuming that the artists should finance themselves. In my personal opinion art is definitely underfunded, despite being one of the most significant things in a human’s life.
In this essay I will be covering the reasons and advantageous impact of what would happen if the state demonstrated additional financial support to art and its creators.
By now, I’m sure we all know how most of modern-day society perceives artists and their craft – everyone loves a well-made work of art, however they mostly admire the finished product, very few pay attention to what it takes to create a masterpiece. First, we must take a look at the education one must acquire to be able to obtain knowledge in the art field. A lot of talented individuals take up lessons or even graduate from universities with degrees proving their specialization in the specialized art techniques. This involves taking student loans therefore many young artists are in debt even before they start their career.
After graduation they face challenges in the arts market in different ways. They have to raise funds to be able to create a beautiful masterpiece and then get the right instruments to do so. That process is not easily accessible or achieved. In order to position themselves on the market they also have to invest in promotional activities because it is incredibly difficult to position oneself in an already saturated market.
A large sum of money is also spent on supplies and promotional material. To create a wonderful piece one must invest a lot in getting the right instruments to do so, but things like that are not easily accessible nor cheap. It is a common belief that good art sells itself. I think that this could not be more wrong. It’s incredibly hard to stand out among hundreds and thousands of people, those who do so already have a powerful reputation. Plus even with a stable agency contract, paychecks tend to be very inconsistent so it’s not common to lose your main source of income overnight.
Making art is a complex process which includes inspiration, time dedication and funds necessary to create artistic work. It is almost impossible for a single person to take care of finances, promotion and creating at the same time. Therefore, I think that the government should provide artists with safe financial space in order to encourage artists to showcase their best potential. Because without one of human’s greatest gifts, our society wouldn’t exist the way we know it