Survey shows pain of recession for artists

Some artists I know have switched to small works , closed studios . People still need some beauty to feel the soul in hard times . I am switching to portraits .

People spend money on the arts when they have money they can spend on luxuries. But when the bad times come a-rolling, people become more stingy. It's pretty dumb to spend money on the arts when you are worried about making your payments on time...

duh!

I don't fit the profile at all! A year ago when everybody got really nervous about the economy, I rolled up my sleeves and produce amazing works. I had my best year . It's a state of mind... believe it or not. Get to work, believe in yourself, everything else will follow. This is my reality...

supply and demand

Survey says! : duh! I'm an artist and documentary filmmaker as well and I gotta say its a damn shame audiences in all areas of the arts are shrinking away. I understand its a tough climate to take risks, but since when was enjoying the world and its beauty a risk?

Oh the new york times. Once more showing when they have nothing to talk about they dive into the obvious. Look this is nothing new. I'd actually be more surprised if people were surprised by this.

i'm still not worried. i'm pretty sure people created art before someone decided to put a pricetag on it.

The problems are many. The distributers are themselves a problem, where many of them have closed their independent film divisions and sought larger, multi-million dollar blockbusters to keep their businesses going. Slow pay, or distributors who only do part of their distribution agreements and renege on the rest have caused problems for this producer/director. Other distributors have simply gone under in this recession and that also hits hard. The distributors have had all the power and little accountability -- creating a situation where good filmmakers are turning to other distribution venues, but it still takes a major PR push and the money that goes into it. The music scene has also been torn apart by the electronic wave, and budgets are only a fraction of what they once were.

When we emerge from all this mayhem, it is going to clear out a lot of cobwebs and humble many of the once all-powerful companies who took regular advantage of artists. At the same time, budgets and expectations are currently leaner and meaner than they ever have been before, with prices dropping to levels once seen in the 70's and 80's.

Perhaps for some of these artists just scraping to get by it's time to pursue a career that pays the bills and just pursue their art as a hobby for now.

Well, duh. Even though I love music more than anything else (and likely more than 99% of the population), I still had enough sense to foresee the reality of being a "starving artist", and that was *before* the recession.

Someone earlier commented that this weeds out the "uncommitted" artists. But from what I've seen, the reality is more such that it allows the rich kids whose parents able to fund them to keep doing whatever they're doing, while those who don't have such a wealthy background have no option but to drop art in favor of something that will put food on the table.

Don't I know it....

If one were to play high level music - one would find that the daily maintenance of the athleticism required for high skill would be impossible without being able to support the practice time.
It's an all or nothing thing. But I guess you guys can listen to re-sampled techno-twinkle, and that's ok - right?

Why have a brain when you can get your beer-money without it.

I have immediate possibilities for all of us. I'll be happy to share it with any artists who feel like this economic downturn has disadvantages for them. I'm reminded of Dorthea Lang emerging from the great depression. The really cool thing about artists is that we have chosen to lead extraordinary lives. If you, like me have come to the conclusion that your greatest works are streaming out of you right now, I have a vision for you. Feel free to contact me if you're interested.

Tough times, true. And yet business right now might be tougher. Or lawyering. If you're getting a law degree now, you might want to brush up on your ceramics as a fall-back. Want to be a stockbroker? A side business of painting might see you through those jobless years.

These are the times we artists need to get a day job or a backup skill and do our thing for the love of art and music. Now, on the other hand Painters, and Writers specifically, have a lot more problems to deal with than just the recession. Having to deal with a increasingly paperless society leads to some tough questions that need to be answered.

When times turn bad who do people turn to? Artists! having said that times are tough yes but with doing what RaceBannon said with banding together with other artists in your respective field them you can make it by. I am a filmmaker still in school so I am trying to stay optimistic. Anybody need a music video made for free? I just love doing what I do even if it is for hardly nothing.

my advice is band together with other artist, form groups or move in together. I started a a small record label with some fellow djs (its the same hustle, trust me) and I can tell you the stress is lower when you know there's 7 other people who are working to make sure you thrive and vice versa. This should be a model for freelancers who have found it a big distraction to be businessman and artist at the same time.

That's why I did nursing and art! Nursing is always a good job market! The arts always suffer in a slow economy.

aka the recession weeds out the uncommitted artists...

Definitely feeling it. I just want to make things look pretty and am so sick of hearing about profitability.

If art isn't supported it just fades away, but the really sad part is what disappears along with art.

Hard times require more of you creative problem solving skills . People do not realize how important art is . Just because you have less , it does not mean you must impoverish your soul . Beauty makes life bearable in hard times . We are still needed . Stay centered in yourself and have hope .

Good to know I'm not the only one.

times change, so should methods of promotion and distribution. if people aren't buying maybe you should sell something else?

Thanks for posting this. it's sadly comforting to read this. to know im not the only one having a rough time. though, i did do much better over a year ago, selling my work. it's much slower now. i feel, in a hard time such as these you just have to 'whore' your self a lot more. And artist have a hard time doing that!

In BC (Canada) the provincial government cut arts funding by almost 90% (it was about 47 million in 2008). They did however have no trouble finding the money to pay for a new roof for a Vancouver stadium (about 500 million. For one roof.)

When confronted about this "problem" (an understatement), the government explained that the cuts were necessary to care for the homeless, of course AFTER signing the check of 500 million.

It may sound like a little problem in a Canadian town, but this is just an example of a mentality, a prejudice even, that is worldwide.

i seem to be a starving artist before the recession and while people are still buying ed hardy and gucci also 200 - 400 dollar sneakers, new lexus and bmw's, i think its a lie thier are people who struggle and people who dont know the feeling and things change for people on both sides and does any body have the solution tell me immediately please for the love of this earthling from planet earth

I just got back from a concert for a pretty well known band. The place was dead and tickets were only $10. Kinda sad really.