Monday, November 28, 2011
In An Era of Budget Austerity, Public Art Projects Take on Increased Impact
Technology in the Arts: One of the unfortunate realities of the current economic climate is that with so many Americans unemployed, and others saving money instead of using it to purchase goods and services, the states, counties and municipalities that rely so heavily on sales tax collections are faced with fewer tax collections and larger annual budget deficits. With most local governments required to balance their budgets every fiscal year, they are forced to cut spending, lay off workers and delay investment on previously planned projects.
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The rise of kickstarter has definitely been so impressive and useful to broke/starving artists. I'm not sure if it's necessarily more important because of the recession, this country has never really had an impressive government funding for the arts like what can be seen across the ocean. There have been so many inspring projects to come out of Kickstarter, though, that I don't really know if these six are the most exemplary of the good that can happen. My most favorite product of Kickstarter is Dithyrambalina, an interactive music box the size and shape of a house made out of salvaged house materials from Hurricane Katrina. ( http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1132047121/swoons-musical-architecture-for-new-orleans?ref=video )Really amazing things come out of this website that I honestly don't think the national government would have taken a part in anyway even if they had the means.
The economic crisis has created so many issues for people across the board. So it's no surprise that artists have been hit extremely badly. When people aren't spending as much money, art is usually the first thing to go, especially when art was never a high priority. But Kickstarter has done amazing things to help this problem. Having a way to collect donations has helped many artists start or complete projects that may not have otherwise happened. I know many people from CMU used kickstarter this summer for their Fringe plays, and they had a ton of success with the website. Kickstarter is a great way to get projects on their feet and help save the arts and artists.
I think that while it's a shame that public art isn't really a thing the government is funding right now (for all the reasons stated in the article), it's great that things like Kickstarter exist to help small groups get the funding they need for projects. My favorite band, a small folk group from New York called The Spring Standards, have used kickstarter to fund their last 2 releases in full, and given out awesome rewards for donating a certain amount. It encourages artists to be self-starters, which is great. At the same time, I wish there could still be more public art projects being funded, because even though the money isn't as readily available as it once was, I'd argue that in times like these, art isn't the thing we should be cutting. Rather, it's more important than ever because it can speak to the time we are in.
This may be a little too ranty, but how do people not understand the importance of funding the arts? The economy sucks. It will be better if people spend money. Rich people have money. Rich people like art. If we give artists money, rich people will buy their work. Makes sense right? Granted I'm no economist so I could be talking out of my bum here. I also second Reilly's comment. This Kickstarter thing is pretty innovative, to put it simply. Very impressive projects all around. It's good to see that the arts are still finding a way to thrive.
I know that many people, including myself, are upset at the lack and withdrawal of government funding for the arts. A healthy artistic community is a large indicator of a successful country, and we seem to be failing in that aspect currently. It is good to see that even without government support, communities are still working and able to come up with money to fund smaller artistic ventures. It is almost a relief to know that a majority of people still find art important, and I think that this kind of dedication definitely makes an impression on ours and other governments.
As it relates to the arts community, investments in public works of art, like sculptures, statues and murals, have been shelved due to budget cuts.
Once again, we are reminded of how arts funding is the first to get cut due to budget deficits and tighter wallets. And once again, we are reminded that while some larger scale art projects have been stalled or cancelled all together, this environment still allows rise in grassroots public art projects. What I didn't know before reading this article was that sites like Kickstarter existed. So bravo- "crowdfunding programs" like these are awesome for civic pride and bringing new life to neglected corners of the city/town, often through the more quirky and imaginative means.
I think its really great that public art is still being made in this rough economic climate. But I would say that you don't always need money to make art. Instead of starting a kickstarter to paint a mural for example maybe all you need is someone to donate some paint and a spot to put it. I think when the money is low art can always persevere when people are willing to make it. I think this also relates to street theatre, which I expect a reemergence of as the cost of putting a show in a theatre rises. But back to the article, I am glad that artists and communities have kickstarter as a way to improve their communities without having to rely on the government.
I think it's great that artists are finding ways to fund their art even though major funding has been reduced so much in the past few years. I also think it's great that the projects they are doing with the kickstarter money are really working to improve public spaces and communities. I think that this is also a great way of getting people more interested in the arts, because if it is all around them in their normal places, it is harder to ignore and people get curious.
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