Does art have value?

This may be hard to hear for some however many people feel art has no value because they believe it does not contribute to the well being of society. There’s a misunderstanding that art and artists are somehow separate from the rest of society and only available to the privileged and wealthy. “One huge reason art is not valued is because it is not accessible. It is treated not as a part of life, but as a non-essential feature of life, reserved for the few, but not for everyone. Art can and should be for everyone. By not valuing artists, we devalue art. Art encompasses both maker and object.”

This misnomer has created a societal culture that believes art is not important nor part of daily life and therefore can be forgotten and pushed aside with reduced budgets and limited resources when finances are stretched in an institution such as in schools and by governments and corporations.

The pandemic and the resulting actions by governments have only further demonstrated their beliefs that art in all its forms is a frivolous extra, a non-essential and therefore by association those who practice, support and deliver art (of every genre: visual, music, dance, theatre, writing) are also unnecessary.

So, let me ask you this; what would your daily life be like without art? Art, artists and creative thought, ideas and ability has given us nearly everything in our homes from our morning coffee to the bed we slept in. Someone somewhere designed each and every item we own. Nothing exists in our human world without first having been imagined by someone. Art in all its forms is the product of imagination. When a child’s imagination is allowed to grow and mature by fostering the pursuit of artistic practice they have the potential to develop concepts and ideas that can find a treatment for a disease (Alexander Fleming - penicillin), develop a system to create clean drinking water (LifeStraw), create a portable computer (Adam Osbore – The Osborne 1).

The Arts fosters the growth and development of the human imagination by providing opportunities for students to explore creativity and tap into the creative centres of our brain. “Art is thinking critically and rethinking systems and breaking rules. That is art’s value. It is a system that changes and adapts and allows anyone to participate in shaping it. It is democratic. Art is not a narrow field of study, it is a response to the human need for beauty, order, community. It’s not too strong to say that art is a human need. It doesn’t die, it changes.” When one practices art they are developing and growing their ability to problem solve, develop new ideas and visualize solutions. These skills are highly valued in any industry and serve to improve lives in our communities.

So just how do we begin to promote the value of practicing art? Our education systems, governments and employers need to play a key role in educating its students, citizens, and workers by providing financial support and opportunities to participate in artistic activities. “Artists should be paid to impress upon others the skills of critical thinking, creative problem solving, and values of community. There should also be full employment in the non-profit sector, for artists to work with communities …”

Those who practice art in any form as part of their daily life are more resilient to challenges and enjoy greater independence. They commonly demonstrate a high level of curiosity which can lead to improving workplace systems and developing new programs. They also display a greater zest for life and an increased desire to help each other to develop strong communities.

Does art have value? Absolutely. The very development of the human race depends on our ability to be creative.

Contains excerpts from the blog article https://www.theartblog.org/2020/10/how-do-we-value-art/