How do arts advocates get other people to see value in arts and culture? People do care, they do think art is important. Facts bear this out, see this blog post Art is Good For You.
What doesn’t happen often enough is what marketers call the ‘conversion’. We’ve got people nodding, yes, art is important, but have we got original art in homes? Have we got bums in seats at local theatre, orchestras and films?
Do we consume enough art so that people can make a living at it?
No. No. No.
Artists spend more of their time volunteering than any other sector. They also live below the poverty line and are among the best educated among us. (This is all documented in reports from Stats Can.)
So the problem is not as easy as grants or funding (the easy solution). The problem is so deep it’s hard to find a solution. Too big to fix.
Nonetheless, I’ll try. Here’s a vision statement to test out:
Create arts consumers by creating a society that values the acquisition of art and culture as highly as they do their cars, houses and the ubiquitous Coach handbag.
We’ve got the consumer part down pat, so why not get a painting instead of a second TV?