When it comes to timeless practices like the arts, people are usually on-board with supporting the development and protecting existing creations. And rightly so. After all, one of the easiest ways to shield history is to take care of the ancient masterpieces from various cultures. Hence why museums are tasked with taking professional care of monuments and artistic artifacts that can be showcased to the future generations.
Nonetheless, there is still a clear disconnect between the needed level of art support and the actual support provided by the population. In translation, while people generally show that they care, there could be a lot more tangible action that facilitates better innovation, creativity, and preservation. So, what exactly are some of the main objectives of leading the movement that prioritizes art and assists new artists?
Help Students Perform Better
According to an experienced actor, Kamilla Bjorlin, art helps students’ academic performances. This assertion is also supported by the fact that the general education curriculum in almost every single country in the world includes some form of art, band or choir. In the U.S., this is demonstrated by the high degree of detail covered in student’s mandatory art classes that have to be taken during elementary and high school as well as most higher education programs.
How art helps the student’s performance is by offering a well-rounded academic career that involves various skillsets that have to be learned. So, although most students will excel in some specific area, exposing them to subjects that do not require analytical insight and simply revolve around imagination will allow their engagement and retention rates to rise.
Facilitate Innovation and Creativity
Supporting art in society is further necessary to perpetuate high levels of innovation and creativity amongst people of all ages. While these two skills tend to be most dominant in younger generations, they can often transpire and continue to be present throughout the other stages of life. For instance, Kamilla Bjorlin attributes the fact that she pursued fields such as dancing and acting due to her constant exposure to creative engagements of artistic expression. In other words, ensuring that the developing minds of future generations can stay in touch with their imagination could enable them to discover true passions early on.
Boost in Tourism
Of course, the reasons to support art goes beyond the primary benefits related to the development of younger generations. For instance, art is directly associated with a boost in tourism. A great testament to this is the fact that the world’s most visited museum for years has remained the Louvre in France. In 2018, for instance, 9.7 million people came to it to see Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” that remains the most famous painting ever created. Similarly, cities that have museums that preserve important historical art tend to see more tourists than their counterparts. So, supporting art could easily allow one to affect the popularity of their home city or state indirectly.
Rich Culture
Obviously, an incredibly important benefit of art is its ability to elevate the culture of any given region. How? Well, research conducted at various universities around the country indicates that a high presence of the arts is often seen as a factor that elevates the rates of civic engagement. Also, social tolerance and cohesion tend to be much more developed and positive when there is a clear dedication to art demonstrated by the leading authorities. Not to mention the fact that enjoying and participating in various forms of art has been proven to reduce issues related to PTSD when it comes to former military members as well as those who overcame traumatic life experiences.
International Trading and Economic Growth
In the end, one must recognize the importance of supporting art in terms of improving the overall economy of the area. To better understand why to consider the fact that the United States increased its Gross Domestic Product in 2014 by a whopping $730 billion attained from a trade surplus in connection with artistic and cultural artifacts. This number translates to over 4 percent of the overall GDP for the entire nation. So, it is most definitely material and responsible for the development of many important government programs related to preserving, promoting, and supporting art.
Kamilla Bjorlin further states that community unification, individual well-being, and even business inspiration can be tied to the support of art. So, while there are people who may not be in a position to get involved, everyone should at least get educated on what their local art includes and do their best to raise awareness.
