I came across this article today:
Quote:
Starving and struggling
torstar News Service
10 February 2009 01:00
The 2001 census showed artists earned an average of $26,300, but that figure dropped to $22,700 by 2006, a 14 per cent decrease in earnings when adjusted for inflation.
It’s already hard enough for artists in Canada to make a decent living and it’s not getting any better. In fact, the latest statistical analysis shows artists are getting poorer.
Kelly Hill of Hill Strategies Research, a company that analyzes artist earnings and trends, said real income declined from 2001 to 2006, the latest data period provided by Census Canada.
The 2001 census showed artists earned an average of $26,300, but that figure dropped to $22,700 by 2006, a 14 per cent decrease in earnings when adjusted for inflation. By contrast, the overall labour force saw a modest two per cent increase in the same period.
“That was a surprising and fairly depressing statistic. We knew from the 2001 census work that we did that artists’ earnings were low but ... seeing them go down from even that low level is quite disappointing,” Hill said.
Hill said that figure becomes even more alarming when one realizes that in 2006, working artists — 140,000 across Canada — outnumbered the 135,000 Canadians directly employed in the auto sector.
Overall, the latest research shows there are 609,000 cultural workers in Canada: about 3.3 per cent of the total workforce; double the level of workers in the forestry sector at 300,000 and more than double the banking sector at 257,000.
“That’s substantial and it’ll surprise a lot of people,” Hill said.
At the same time, Hill said — and as a recent Toronto Star series on the lives of Canadian artists demonstrated — those who choose to follow their artistic muse face significant hurdles compared to others in the labour force. For example, artists, many of whom are self-employed, rarely qualify for employment insurance, and their ability to contribute to pension plans for a secure retirement is also limited, Hill said.
Hill said it’s time for governments to wake up to the significant role artists and culture play in Canada's economy and to provide incentives for them to survive.
“I do believe that (artists) are a dynamic and growing component of the labour force and it does need to be nurtured,” he said.
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Metro - Starving and struggling
In summary, the average income of artists in Canada dropped by 14% in five years (2001–2006) when you account for inflation. We talking average earnings that went from $26,300 to $22,700. (As though it weren't low enough to begin with.)
As someone who works in the culture industry (book publishing), I am strongly in favour of government-supported arts for two reasons: 1) It often makes good business sense, and 2) the role of art within society should not be undervalued.
Especially where book publishing in Ontario is concerned, for every dollar the government puts into it, several are generated through such means as the book industry itself, the retail industry, and the printing industry, amongst others. Historically, government support of the arts has been rewarding if it's managed properly.
Also, I believe the value of art within society is often undervalued. In the grand scheme of things, one of the richest and most memorable aspect of a society is the art it produces. The challenge of Canada's arts communities is living through the cultural hegemony of the U.S. This affects all areas of the arts. This means that government's role in the arts affects, and is affected by, both these points: It's good for business and good for society.
So why are artists starving and struggling? Looking at the numbers, this, to me, is despicable. All things considered, there is no reason why an artist cannot feasibly have a go at creating art as a career and to live somewhat comfortably as a form of compensation. What gives?
I think a major problem here is that the "ivory tower" is taking the lion's share of the funding, leaving the others out in the cold. Also, certain arts industries (namely, film) take the lion's share, leaving other industries with the scraps.
- How are artists in your nation/state/province/community faring?
- Do you support government funding of the arts? (Why or why not?)
- Is your government doing enough to foster a vibrant and accessible arts scene?
- Do the arts matter to you? (Why or why not?)
- If you are an artist, what would you like to see changed?