How Do You Advocate for the Arts?
How do You Advocate for the Arts?
This is a question that I’ve been thinking about a Ā lot over the last few months, not that it wasn’t something that I thought about before, but my focus has changed.Ā I can’t seem to find or remember a time where the arts weren’t at risk, where they didn’t need to be advocated for, and I’m dreaming of a time were Arts Advocacy is simply part of art history.
If the things that we’ve done in the past, for years upon years, haven’t totally saved the arts, my question is, what are new things that we can we try. What are small things that we can do every day or every week that just might start to move the needle towards everyone ( or at least most people) agreeing that the arts matter?
As I worked with a group of non-art identify adults, I realized, they were open to understanding why art matters, the impact that it has, and even learning how to purchase more of it, but they need someone to teach them. They need someone to tell them, where to find a contemporary artist and to help them to understand what they’re looking at. Just as I need an accountant to help me with my taxes.
While this may seem like a very small step, perhaps it is, it’s a step and I’d like to encourage you to get involved. Each week, via instagram, I’ll be sharing the work of 1 contemporary artist, that I’m loving, this does a few things.
- It keeps a visualĀ record of artists that I can share with my students ( this is totally a self-serving endeavor)
- Ā It brings new eyes to the work of that artist
- It makes it easy for others to be exposed to the contemporary artist, and in a minute or two provides them with resources.