One positive thing COVID 19 did was to make us reflect more than usual on what is really important, this moment of contemplation made many of us realize we need to get out of the house and interact with others, we can only watch so many Netflix series, as great as the “The Queen’s Gambit” and the “Tiger King” have been COVID has taught us that we are social creatures that crave live human interaction. COVID has reminded us that arts are necessary and are one of our preferred social outlets, whether by attending an outdoor concert, a musical, going to a ballet, or attending a gallery stroll, our cultural arts have been a way to socialize, to bring communities together, to provide a platform for artists and aspiring arts, to promote art and beauty, to preserve and enhance our cultural heritage and lastly a reminder that we actually have more in common and less that divide us.
At the start of the pandemic the National Endowment for the Arts reported the following growth for Arts and Culture:
- The arts and cultural sector add more to the economy than do construction and transportation/warehousing combined by $87 billion and $265 billion respectively.
- The value added by arts and culture to the U.S. economy is five times greater than the value from the agricultural sector.
- Arts and culture generate a widening trade surplus. From 2006 to 2017 this surplus grew 9-fold to more than $25 billion.
- Between 2015 and 2017, the arts and cultural sector grew at more than twice the rate of the total U.S. economy.
In Utah, the state where I live and work as an architect that specializes in the arts and cultural industry Utah prior to the pandemic arts and culture accounted for 4.3% of the state’s total gross product. Arts and culture were growing and were anticipated to continue with large growth rates of 8.7% from 2015 to 2017.
The pandemic put a giant pause on this growth and has impacted the cultural arts community more than most industries
The pandemic put a giant pause on this growth and has impacted the cultural arts community more than most industries, the Americans for the Arts November 30th research update reports the following:
- Artist employment is recovering but slower than the nation’s economy.
- As of July 2021, financial losses to the nation’s nonprofit and culture organizations were estimated at 17.97 billion.
- Artists/creatives were and remain the most severely affected segment of the nation’s workforce.
- 37% of artists were unable to access or afford food at some point during the pandemic and 58% did not visit a medical professional due to the inability to pay.
If we have learned anything from our time of isolation is that the demand for cultural arts is still there and if anything has been amplified. So, moving forward what can do to support the arts that engage so many of us socially?
First- support artists and the artist community by just getting out and going to an event, or two or three, as many as you can when you feel safe and comfortable. Arts venues in many instances have high concentrations of large groups in close proximity and were shut down early in the pandemic and remained shut for longer than many businesses. For example, all of Salt Lake County’s major cultural arts venues were closed from the onset of the pandemic thru the spring of 2021, many large theaters and one of the premiere concert halls in the country sat vacant. Many other businesses found opportunities to continue to work but performers had little choice without audiences. In addition, it’s important to note that many, many arts groups work on a seasonal basis and didn’t end up getting back into the groove until the fall of 2021 and even at that had to ease into fall productions, much longer of a reboot than most industries. We don’t have clear data yet on how many artists left to the profession to make ends meet and will not return, but you can imagine many great artists’ time has been cut short or altered severely. So, get out, buy those tickets, fill those seats, the artists need an outlet, and the venues direly need your help with revenue. If you are used to seeing the Nutcracker for Christmas every year go see it this year again but bring some additional friends or relatives, or perhaps add and dabble in another art form and annual event, you might be surprised at what you experience
Second- support arts venues and production networks. Artists and their production support teams historically per my experience have been the best human beings on the planet at stretching a budget and providing an enhanced experience on a shoestring budget. This uncanny ability to MacGyver something out of nothing has been stressed further by the pandemic, the duct tape, and baling wire and has worn out, the repurposing of old props and reuse of old equipment can only last so long, it is time to replenish the stock, to provide new resources and make up for the lost time. Let your friends, family, and those with or without deep pockets and influence know that we have some ground to make up to support our collective cultural arts experience. Whether it’s the renovation of an existing space, a new ground-up arts building, or important technical upgrades that were all put on hold prior to the pandemic don’t be slow to bring those back online, don’t assume these much-needed improvements are something that can be addressed later, we need to make them a priority. Materials and labor across all industries have drastically increased in cost as a direct result of the pandemic, arts productions have not been exempt from this and cannot run on the same budget as previously, how many are planning and have the capacity to handle this shift, who knows.
Perhaps as we enter the year-end with a new one on the horizon and continue to contemplate what we are thankful for and what truly matters that we can find ways to contribute to the cultural arts. We have myriad options at our disposal whether it’s volunteering as an usher at your local performing arts center or creating a go fund me campaign for the local theater company that is struggling, or maybe the office Christmas party could be a dinner and ballet performance, or dinner and live local band, or maybe your company’s office or local community center could open its doors to a visual artist for a gallery reception.
There is little to no indication the “Build Back America Better” or other major public initiatives are targeting the arts community, there is no national spotlight on what the pandemic impacts have done to this industry, so it will be in our individual hands to find energy and resources and to double up our cultural arts support efforts.