By PATRICK NEHER Executive Director
Los Alamos Arts Council
You may not be aware, but … artists struggle every day with societal attitudes that, instead of encouraging us to continue to be expressive, often make us feel useless and insecure.
Though artists are dedicated to providing reflection on our present and our past, with musings about the future, we often feel unsupported and taken-aback when queried; “Are you a local artist, or a professional?”, “An artist must suffer to be any good, right?” and “Why are you an artist when you have such talent for math?”
Think about it. If you said this to your child, trying to encourage him/her to be a scientist, you might well push that young personality into a life of the arts! Oh dear! Such was the case with me. My father wanted desperately for me to be a physicist. I was good at math and sciences, but when I decided to graduate a year early and “go to music conservatory to learn how to deeply interpret music,” my father was chagrined.
For artists, Los Alamos is both an inspiration and frustration. Do you hear this “background noise” as you peruse the ever-changing displays at our local galleries, or when attending fabulous performances of our local theatre, dance, and music groups? Many artists, though supported in myriad ways, still feel the insecurities of second-class citizens.
As consumers, we are always looking for the best deal. But when assessing the value of artistic work, we must remember that the “value” is far greater than the medium. Imagine trying to put a price tag on the invention that provided us with the stealth bomber. Stealth technology was invented in the 1950s, but you cannot attach a dollar to the idea that led to the invention. How can you compensate a person for all those years of discovery and education (work)? A professional artist and many amateurs spend their entire life training and practicing (work!) for a few brush strokes that exactly express the deepest of feelings. Art is necessarily emotional. Science is necessarily rational. People thrive on both!
In order to support artists as well as offer programs that are unique, timely, and innovative, the Arts Council must “walk many fine-lines.” If we produce a program that we believe will enrich our community, but no one participates, we clearly have missed the mark. Conversely, if our presentations continue to be supported by the community, our mission is justified. One “fine-line” we must broach is how we express the need for financial support: How much can we charge an audience, to sustain a program? How much should a painter charge for his/her creation? How much does a musician need in order to produce a concert? Where does the Arts Council find the money to honor artists’ long years of training and dedication, and how do we offer experiences of ever-higher quality? Will asking these questions backfire on us and cause a drop-off in participation, or might the request be welcomed resulting in a stronger support-base? Though experts in expression, artists carefully walk these and many other fine-lines with trepidation.
Los Alamos is where scientists and artists come together. We support each other’s disciplines, and (when it comes to discipline) our personalities are similar. But artists are not recognized as valuable in our society. Hire a plumber or electrician, we pay their fees because “it matters” to our livelihood. But pay an artist reasonably for work that helps us appreciate Life? We fail to consider the similarity of value. We think, “an artist can suffer, and that will make for a better artist.” …. Ouch!
