AMT Lab @ CMU: In 2021, at the tail end of a pandemic, we understand that our daily lives are somewhat inextricably entangled with the internet. Yet, an estimated 18 million households in the United States do not have access to home broadband. This is a statistic that arts managers should consider when planning online programming and in-person events as the world opens up. By looking closer at the digital divide and comparing counties’ internet access to their arts vibrancy, as measured by SMU DataArts, this article will look at the United States’ digital divide and how it impacts opportunities for arts participation.
2 comments:
Although I think that opening up certain aspects of the arts onto the internet increases accessibility greatly, there are still always going to be factors that reduce accessibility no matter what. I do not think this is necessarily a fault of the arts, but it is still important to help people understand how technology access and art connects if they may not understand that concept. I feel as though unless a group travels to every single area of the U.S for free, only presents their art on days where no one is working, and accounts for factors such as disability access, will the arts be truly accessible for all (and even then I am likely forgetting factors to account for). However, we know this is simply impossible because of the capitalist society we live in, where the people making the art have to make money to sustain themselves as well as their audience, already removing a huge layer of accessibility just based on that factor. For example, someone working multiple jobs to sustain their family could likely not afford to take the time to indulge in something like a theatrical performance, so even at its most accessible form in this society, the arts will still not be universally accessible.
This is a fascinating study. Obviously, internet access is becoming increasingly vital if one wants to stay connected and involved in one’s community, especially in the COVID era. I didn't realize how much I use Facebook groups, good drive, and zoom for the express purpose of creating art. When I first opened this article I expected to see a hard and fast cut between arts vibrancy and access to the internet. In a broad sense, sadly, this is the trend. But I did notice that there were a few outliers with either 100% access and a low vibrancy score or the other way around. While it would prove to be much more difficult to foster an artistic community without the internet, this just served as a reminder to me that it wouldn't be impossible. Of course that is not to say that providing more universal and equitable access to the internet shouldn’t be a goal in the future, because it absolutely should. I just found it inspiring that even lacking many of the resources I and many others have, individuals were able to come together and make art.
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