Concerning Viewer Disinterest

My husband and I had an interesting discussion this morning concerning art and viewers. He questioned whether there was any true cause for the general population's disinterest in the arts. He argued that throughout the course of history, a vast majority of people were not exposed to art except through public art projects and that today is no different. Anymore nowadays, huge industries (such as the music and film industry) have formed to sell products appealing to the masses that the general population can afford. Previously most people's exposure was limited to public projects that were produced to convey ideas and ideals especially in regards to restricting and/or celebrating religious beliefs or announcing political authority and power.

There are numerous factors at play that can prevent people from enjoying contemporary art, including a lack of strong art education programs (especially in grades K-12), people occupying their time and money with other endeavors, the potentially alienating settings in which art is shown (which I have discussed here), and the lack of marketing aimed at getting the general population involved in the visual arts. But many people are simply uninterested in art, even some who have received an art education as children. The question then arises of how to resolve this problem and get people more involved in art rather than trying to figure out what brought it about. So how can we go about this?

Many people do not expose themselves to contemporary art and have never even set foot in an art gallery, but art fairs and festivals can help bridge that gap and invite the public in for all that many people do not attend such events either. Programs are being offered to promote art to younger businesspersons among the larger museums and institutions, inviting entrepreneurs and potential future patrons for cocktails and other social events. Various groups, like the River City Professionals, also host events in such settings. And some programs are offered as exclusive events for members of certain groups, such as the Young Friends of the St. Louis Art Museum. Major institutions also offer numerous family and educational outreach programs to increase exposure to the arts. But what can we do beyond this? How can we as artists help?

I think it is important for artists to integrate their work into other settings. A lot of artists are disinterested in showing their work outside of the gallery setting because such opportunities are seen as less prestigious, but it is important that art be shown in a variety of venues. Community centers, libraries, bookstores, restaurants, office spaces, doctors' offices and other businesses often offer artists opportunities to showcase their work. As a result, people who may not see said artwork in the gallery setting are exposed to it while going about their daily activities. Many art organizations offer programs to artists to place their work in such venues as off-site exhibits, and artists should be sure to take advantage of such opportunities. Two strong off-site exhibit programs are offered through Art St. Louis and ArtDimensions as a service to their members, for example.