Many individuals are of the opinion that the monetary allocation of the government should be spent on public art. Personally, I completely disagree with this point of view based on several reasons that are explained in this essay.
Advocates of building public arts may state that these installations can promote economic growth. Cities that have a variety of cultural values and public networks can attract a significant amount of tourists as this cultural diversity offers them an opportunity to explore and expand their point of view; as a result, tourism may grow and foster to the overall economic growth. Additionally, public arts can foster social cohesion among the local citizens. These public networks are the symbol of cities and reflect the cultural roots, by installing them especially in the center of cities, this would create a community space by which citizens feel a sense of artistic and promote cultural awareness among them, fostering a sense of belonging.
However, I am convinced that in this and age, many countries are facing with plenty of urgent problems related to poverty, crimes, and healthcare. These issues put huge amount of strain to the government budget and degrade the quality of life of citizens; therefore, public funds can be utilized towards these unsolved problems rather than spending a substantial amount of money to maintain and install public arts. Moreover, many people do not appreciate the importance of art and lack understanding about complex artistic concepts. As a result, vandalism may occur, which leads to the degradation of the overall city’s landscape and the decrease in the number of tourists, which in turn diminishes the economic growth as a whole.
In conclusion, while installing public arts may have certain benefits such as the promotion of economic growth and a sense of community, it is essential to consider the potential issue associated with vandalism and an effective solution for more urgent problems that degrade the quality of life of citizens.