Art Institute Adds New Wing

On May 16, the Art Institute of Chicago will open to the public its new $283 million wing dedicated to modern art. Along with this, other changes are being made to the Art Institute. Everything is being reinstalled, and the admission price will soon be raised from $12 to $18. A gala will be held on May 9 to celebrate the revamped museum. The Chicago Tribune asks this question, “Is this lavish offering… a misreading of the times and people’s willingness to pay a premium to view great art in a stunning new building? Or is the world-renowned art museum making a statement: that temporary economic conditions can’t thwart Chicago’s ambition and commitment to its cultural life?” The Art Institute has been defending its decision to raise admission prices, despite the opposition being voiced by the people of Chicago and by the City Council. Museum officials are confident in these changes being successful, because museum figures have proven before that attendance is not adversely affected by price increases and has actually risen during economic hardships. Although she is working for the competition, Museum of Contemporary Art director Madeleine Grynsztejn supports the changes, saying, “Art has a very long view, and to the Art Institute’s credit, it is creating a wing for the public of Chicago to enjoy forever, in good times and bad.”

More About Ronda Storms

Ronda Storms is the Florida Senator and member of the Republican party that recently presented a bill to end funding for local public art. She is also a very controversial figure in Florida. In 2000, when alumni from Florida A&M University, a historically Black college, tried to establish a law school in Tampa, Storms voiced her opposition and had this to say about minorities, “We can get them through law school, but we can’t get them to seem to pass the Bar.” After two people called to her office to complain about her remarks, Storms went on about the issue in another interview. On the issue of the alumni requesting tax funds to establish the law school, she said, ” “It’s guilt money. This is so white people can pat themselves on the back.” Later on, she offered her version of an apology, “I am not apologizing for who I am. I am apologizing for any offense (taken).” This is not the first time that Storms has been met with controversy. Storms had an eight year tenure on the commission of Hillsboro County. She spoke out against county-appropriated money to Planned Parenthood and fought against the county recognizing local gay and lesbian events.

Two Florida Lawmakers Want to End Public Funding of Art

From tampabay.com, Senator Ronda Storms (R) wrote a repeal to outlaw state funded public art in Florida until the economy improves. She was quoted as saying, “Do I pay for art instead of paying for care for an abused kid? This is an example of fat. This is a luxury.” She proposed the bill a year ago, but it fizzled out in committee. Now she only needs one more committee’s approval before being voted on by lawmakers. An amendment to Storms’ bill was added stating that funding would return to art in 2011, but it would have to be approved by the lawmakers; Storms does not approve of this clause, wanting it to be removed from the bill. A similar bill by Representative Rich Glorioso (R) moving forward currently. It is hard to believe that Senator Storms considers the artwork just a “luxury” when “the state program is providing an economic benefit by providing work for artists,” a point made by Bill Iverson, public art program manager for Hillsborough, FL. Ironically, Storms’ Senate website states that local art is one of her passions.

Hollywood Escapes the Recession

I found this article at the Independent’s website that reports that despite the financial crunch, people are flocking to the theaters. In fact, 2009 might be the first year that the box office ticket sales reach $10 billion dollars. The president of Box Office Mojo, Brandon Gray says, “People need the movies, they inspire, they provide catharsis, they make people laugh, they thrill them – and all that is needed now more than ever.” It seems that people are looking for an escape from hard times and a trip to the movies is the best way to do it.

Kareem Dale in Charge of Arts Portfolio

The NY Times is reporting that Obama has hired Kareem Dale to be in charge of the arts portfolio temporarily. Dale is a lawyer from Chicago and was appointed special assistant to Obama for disability policy. People from both the art and disability camps are disappointed with the decision, each hoping that they would have an advocate in the White House to call their own, and instead they will have to share. Before Dale, there was talk of hiring a Cabinet level secretary of the arts (an idea proposed by Quincy Jones), and there was an online petition created in support of it.

Art Programs in the Great Depression

In order to see how the topic of art might be dealt with in the future, we can look to the past. In 1935 during the Great Depression, the Works Progress Administration (WGA), the largest agency of the New Deal, created Federal Project Number One. It was a group of projects that helped to relieve artists, writers, actors, and musicians. With the support of the government, artists were commissioned to create art for federal buildings, photographers captured images of the Great Depression, writers wrote about the New Deal, and actors lifted the spirits of audiences across the country. Supporting the arts was not a top priority for Franklin D. Roosevelt, but his first lady, Eleanor, believed that Number One was essential for the development of culture in the U.S. and she encouraged him to take the necessary steps to put it into action. Opponents of the New Deal pressured the White House to scale Number One in the late 1930′s, but the work of that time remains with us today and serves as an illustration of climate of the Great Depression.

Stimulating the Arts

photograph by hedi slimane

According to npr.com, $50 million has been included in the stimulus plan for the National Endowment of the Arts and $150 million to repair the infrastructure of the Smithsonian. Many art groups and organizations have been greatly affected by the crisis, with cancelled performances, funding and pay cuts, and art institutions being shut down. In January 2009, an article illustrating how much art contributes to the economy was posted to the news section of the NEA’s website:

According to research by Americans for the Arts, nonprofit arts organizations and their audiences generate $166.2 billion in economic activity every year, support 5.7 million jobs, and return nearly $30 billion in government revenue every year. Every $1 billion in spending by nonprofit arts and culture organizations and their audiences results in almost 70,000 full time jobs.

This study is called ‘Arts & Economic Prosperity III: The Economic Impact of Nonprofit Arts and Culture Organizations and Their Audiences,’ and according to its website, it is “among the most frequently cited statistics used to demonstrate the impact of the nation’s nonprofit arts industry on the local, state, and national economy.”

Another study called ‘Arts & the Economy: Using Arts and Culture to Stimulate State Economic Development,’ which can be found in its entirety here, states that, “Arts and culture are important to state economies. Arts and culture-related industries, also known as ‘creative industries,’ provide direct economic benefits to states and communities: They create jobs, attract investments, generate tax revenues, and stimulate local economies through tourism and consumer purchases.” Reviewing all of this information, it is being clear exactly how imperative it is that the arts be included in the stimulus bill. Without government support, a significant part of our economy will collapse.

Artists make up 1.4 percent of the U.S labor force, which is about 2 million people, according to the NEA’s own study, Artists in the Workforce.

Not only artists will be affected: “There are many more arts administrators who manage arts institutions including office staff such as accountants and booking agents, production staff such as stage managers, and artistic staff such as ballet masters and artist managers.”

YSL Art Auction Breaks Records

Despite the crisis, a recent sale of the art collection belonging to the late designer Yves Saint Laurent broke multiple world records. Christie’s (the auction house) chief executive Edward Dolman had this to say, “This is the greatest single private auction of a collection of all time and it seems fitting to me that it is in Paris.” The auction made about $470 million dollars, by far exceeding Christie’s expectations. Why so much fuss around this auction? “The late fashion designer’s collection, built up over five decades with his partner Pierre Berge, had been described as one of the most important in private hands,” grabbing the attention of many art enthusuiats all around the world. Berge was confident that despite the crisis, the sale would be a success. “When you offer buyers works of quality, the buyers are there,” he said. There was a wide and diverse selection from Picasso, Matisse, and Degas to a bottle of mouthwash, a piece of found art by Marchel Duchamp, which made about $11 million, six times its estimated worth. The head of modern art at Christie’s explained why the auction was as popular as it was, “Quality pieces of modern art, works that live, in a good state of conservation, can get record prices. These are unique opportunities and people know they won’t come up again.” I believe that this auction has set the tone for the future of the art economy, and it is an optimistic one, despite the seemingly bleak atmosphere.

How does President Obama plan to support the arts?

I did a quick search on the White House website to see how big of role art is going to play in Obama’s agenda. The major issues right now are obviously the economy and energy and the environment; it’s only when you click on “Additional Issues” that you find this small blurb:

“Our nation’s creativity has filled the world’s libraries, museums, recital halls, movie houses, and marketplaces with works of genius. The arts embody the American spirit of self-definition. As the author of two best-selling books — Dreams from My Father and The Audacity of Hope — President Obama uniquely appreciates the role and value of creative expression.”

The topic of the arts is not necessarily a hot-button issue, one that causes heated debates and needs stimulus plans, but it is an issue that ranks high on my personal list. Without the arts, where would we be? The chairman for the National Endowment had this to say about art education: “The purpose of arts education is not to produce more artists, though that is a byproduct. The real purpose of arts education is to create complete human beings capable of leading successful and productive lives in a free society.” This sums up nicely why the arts is such an essential part of our civilization. Why is art important

I started digging deeper on Obama’s campaign website where I found an “Arts Fact Sheet” which dubs Obama and Biden, the “champions of arts and culture.” Here is a breakdown of the plan, which focuses on nine major points:

- Reinvest in Arts Education – ensuring that art programs are placed back into schools, and speaking out about the benefits and importance of art education

- Support Increased Funding in the NEA – funding for the National Endowment for the arts has decreased by $50 million in the last 15 years; Obama plans to recover the loss

- Promote Cultural Diplomacy – bringing back the use of “American artists, performers, and thinkers” to improve relations all over the world, mainly “to help us win the war of ideas against Islamic extremism”

- Attract Foreign Talents – making access to the U.S. easier for foreign artists thereby “providing the kind of two-way cultural understanding that can break down the barriers that feed hatred and fear”

- Provide Health Care to Artists – artists, who have difficulty getting healthcare because of their non-traditional employment, will be able to get coverage under Obama’s new plan for affordable, private healthcare

- Ensure Tax Fairness for Artists – allows artist to deduct “the fair market value of their work”

At this point, these are only plans and promises, waiting to be set into motion. When these plans will be put into motion is yet to be determined. It depends on how the artist community will react. Will they demand these rights for artists, or will they let the major issue of the economy take center stage? They may feel that it’s selfish to have these promises fulfilled, but then again, they were overlooked in the previous administration. I will be following this issue closely.

The Economy Strikes the Art World

As a creatively inclined person, I started wondering how the economy is affecting the art market. I found an old article from November 18, 2008 that explained how Sotheby’s, the third largest auction house in the world, lost a significant amount of money in a contemporary art sale – a total of $52 million in two months. Art is an industry that relies on generous funding, and people who can find meaning in paint spatters, so there was no doubt in my find that the art market would take a significant hit. Here’s how New York Magazine predicts what could happen if the art world takes a hit:

If the art economy is as bad as it looks—if worse comes to worst—40 to 50 New York galleries will close. Around the same number of European galleries will, too. An art magazine will cease publishing. A major fair will call it quits—possibly the Armory Show, because so many dealers hate the conditions on the piers, or maybe Art Basel Miami Beach, because although it’s fun, it’s also ridiculous. Museums will cancel shows because they can’t raise funds. Art advisers will be out of work. Alternative spaces will become more important for shaping the discourse, although they’ll have a hard time making ends meet

Could the crisis also affect the quality of art? Artists might be less inclined to take risks with their work out of fear of not being able to sell and to make a living. Then again, there are some who think that the crisis could inspire a whole new level of creativity. Artists who were once concerned with cranking out consistent work might feel less pressure to please their public and branch out and experiment (I’m sure Andy Warhol would have hated this in his screenprinting phase). The NY Mag article says it best:

Recessions are hard on people, but they are not hard on art. The forties, seventies, and the nineties, when money was scarce, were great periods, when the art world retracted but it was also reborn. New generations took the stage; new communities spawned energy; things opened up; deadwood washed away. With luck, New Museum curator Laura Hoptman’s wish will come true: “Art will flower and triumph not as a hobby, an investment, or a career, but as what it is and was—a life.”

And I, for one, cannot wait to see what develops…