Reasons to sponsor artists
May 31, 2008
Artists don’t make art in order to make money.
Artists make art because they love to or feel a deep desire to which can’t be ignored. And then in order to support themselves, they need to sell their work.
Of course there are some artists who give art a bad name by charging exhorbitant prices: and don’t get me started on the whole art/gallery scene.
But even in the millions being given for art at high-end art auctions these days, there is a hidden truth that in its essence, art is priceless.
So why is art important? Why should you consider sponsoring art and artists?
- Because art and culture are essential parts of being human. Without them we would have no inner life.
When Winston Churchill, was asked to scrap art grants during WW2, he said in effect, ‘ A society without the arts would not be worth winning the war for’. - The arts can initiate dialogue and create an environment for healing through communication
(J. Smiers) - Our society is dominated by left-brained principles such as logic, science, intellect. The arts are the repositories for myth, symbolic language, intuition, emotion, stories, magic, chaos, and many right-brained functions we need to live whole human lives.
- Artist visionaries provide commentary in the present society and first imagine, then bring into form new possibilities: for example, notice the entrance of spirituality into mainstream films.
- Artists keep alive the imagination. For example, in a society starved for stories, enter a writer such as J. Rowling with Harry Potter, and filmmaker Peter Jackson with the Lord of The Rings movies.
- J.Smiers again (see previous post), Artists creating works of art with integrity are, ‘….our lines of defense against sloppy and dangerous exploitation of language, cruel misuse of images, and sad degradation of musicality into aural wallpaper’.
- (ibid) ‘The arts are where in every culture deeply felt sentiments of joy, sadness, violence, beauty and crucial feelings about human life and relations between people are stored….’They are also decisive battlegrounds on many issues’.
- And why should we as individuals take it upons ourselves to support artists? Because artist are in a tenuous position in society, their work is exploited and underpaid and unprotected, there is no financial or social infrastructure to support them, and everywhere grants are being cut.
These are only a few points out of an entire body of information and thought on the subject.
One more point for consideration. And if you are reading this, I don’t think that this is directed to you because you are obviously considering some questions about life and the meaning of life. But a lot of people will say, ‘I don’t have the money for art, it is an unnecessary luxury’.
Replying to them I say, um, let’s see. How about your newest cell phone? And the box of new clothes you just brought to the Goodwill because they were no longer in fashion? What about the redecoration of the living room, the new kitchen, the fancy bike for the 4 year old, the new toys the new porch furniture, the new barbecue because the one from two years ago didn’t have the ‘time save grill’ function. The stuff for the garden, the new this the new that.
Are these needed? How much does an average family in the Netherlands, for example, spend on party goods, fireworks, and most recently orange clothing and accessories for the football games. Quite simply billions.
An art work that connects with something inside of you becomes part of your home and life permanently. It gets passed from generation to generation, often increasing in both financial and subjective worth as it collects stories through time.
The choice is up to each one of us.
June 7, 2008 at 12:55 am
Well said. We need to support & nurture creativity in all of us. MadSilence
November 30, 2008 at 8:26 pm
loving your posts here – reading and reading – may I link to this in particular and perhaps other posts? – this line of thinking is so crucial now in this dire economic atmosphere…
xox – eb.
November 30, 2008 at 11:32 pm
eb thanks for taking the time to read and read. I have no idea how new people like you find me, but I am grateful for the chance to communicate and connect with
kindred spirits.
Please link away to your heart’s content. 🙂
January 13, 2010 at 4:24 am
yummmy… thanks for ur share i’d love to follow you.anyway happy new year ~~~~~~~~
May 14, 2010 at 6:32 am
You put a lot of work into this! Glad you do art just to do art. Hell I paint daily but I no longer remember why!
May 15, 2010 at 9:16 am
That’s because ‘why’ was perhaps never a relevant question in art?
May 31, 2010 at 1:03 pm
Hi! My name is Emmanuel I’m rwandan artist(Gospel Singer,poet and Writter)but i haven’t a sponsor of my talent. I think if u can help me or not u’ll reply me.
Thanks and may God bless u so much!
August 24, 2010 at 6:50 pm
Lovely words!
I will post a link to my blog that I started a year and a half ago, just to share info w/other artists
Artist Marketing Resources
http://ArtistMarketingSalon.wordpress.com
August 26, 2010 at 2:59 pm
Thanks, your blog looked good.
August 26, 2010 at 3:16 pm
I will post a link to your blog on my blog.