Artists and Society

Sadly, what does not seem to change at any speed is the low standing of artists in most societies. Studying about the Egyptians, I recently bumped into the graphic here which places artists in the lower rungs -3000 years ago. A recent survey from Hill Strategies, a Canadian research company specialized in the arts sector found that the average income of artists nowadays is $27,600, and for women artists it is even lower. Artists remain at the bottom…

I don’t get why art is so shunned and undervalued when it is so vital. Art strengthens and revitalizes communities, its social pride; it inspires, encourages discourse, incites thinking, questioning, and spreads culture. On top, it produces economic benefits. What’s not to like? Then, why do we not value artists accordingly? I believe that educators and artists should be at the top of the scales in any society.  What do you think?