The importance of art in society

The importance of art in society cannot be understated. Just try and conceive a life without art. Envision the artistic elements that are commonplace in society and that you have enjoyed your entire life. Think of your favorite novel, the song that you love blasting, that sculpture that moved you to bits in Italy– the list is never-ending.

Now, try to imagine a society where none of these artistic elements existed. What would life be like? It’s a little obvious to see, but a life where no art exists would cease to be meaningful. It would be utterly uninteresting. Art doesn’t just bring joy and meaning; it also expands our worldview and creates a greater level of kindness and empathy in us.

There is really no discipline out there capable of fostering and sparking the human’s cognitive capacity to imagine and unleashing a sense of ingenuity and origination more than arts and culture. Art has the power to break barriers, connect people across cultural divides and engage human beings’ shared values.

Art is what connects us as humans while also moving us to action. Nothing has the aptitude to make shared choices more than the arts do. Art doesn’t only entertain society during challenging times, but it also highlights uncomfortable truths that human beings would otherwise find hard to understand or see.

For decades, society has treated the arts and cultural sectors as second grade. Indeed, projects relating to the arts and culture are typically the first ones to get axed due to budget concerns or cuts. And it is also generally the last investment made.

Over the last four decades or so, society has been forced to sit by as the country’s investment in art projects has declined. The systemic reduction in attention and funding to the arts sector has stretched from our school systems to the contemporary workplace. The absence of value placed in artistic careers and creative industries has grown exponentially as more emphasis is being placed on STEM careers.

Made worse by the pandemic, the arts sector has struggled to recover. Yet, as a society, we relied heavily on the arts for escapism and freedom during those long, lonely months when the world went silent and everyone was forced into lockdown. Even the commercial value of the arts sector has been more scrutinized than usual over the last few decades.

The historical context of art

Art is as old as human civilization itself. As far back as 20,000 years ago, human beings were painting realistic images of animals on walls. People in ancient civilizations would create stencils of their hands on the walls.

During the Stone Age, when the various tribal communities were out hunting, fishing, and farming, humans would paint their lives on stone walls and caves. This is largely regarded as the origin of painting and the beginning of primitive art. Even during celebrations of harvests, farming, and fishing, people would get together and sing and dance- another form of creative expression and art.

In their works, the historians of art state that art was instigated from day-to-day life and labor. In other words, the origin of art is closely tied to community, which is why art is often viewed as an inseparable aspect of human life.

As humanity continued to undergo periods of evolution, art also progressed. When humans entered the agrarian civilization, they started utilizing stone tools in their camps, which slowly became more permanent over time. By this time, human beings were utilizing art in ritual practices to celebrate and honor the lives of those who had passed on. Evidence of this can be found in ancient effigies and statues.

The agrarian period was soon followed up by the Bronze Age when humans progressed further to working with metals. Some of the most commonly used metals of the bronze age include tin alloys, copper, and bronze. As more time passed, human beings continued to create more sophisticated tools, including the potter’s wheel.

As the tools became more refined, so did the art that was produced. The statues that used to be unbalanced started becoming more proportional and symmetrical. By the time the Hellenic era was rolling around, pottery and artwork had become even more refined than in the past, as is evidenced by Roman vases and massive murals.

Throughout time, art has helped to aid education, cooperation, and communication. Art, in its wide array of forms, has been enjoyed by nearly all human cultures and is truly considered one of the most central characteristics of our species.

The noteworthy role of art in shaping our modern society

Art is interconnected closely to our sense of self as human beings. Artists rely on different modes of expression in order to communicate the state of our society, a feeling, or even depict noteworthy moments in history or highlight a point of view through both spaces as well as time.

Art has always provided human beings with a creative way to preserve history as it presents individuals with different views and scenarios that have occurred through the ages. Art has also played an instrumental role in inspiring change in society while bringing forward opinions that have continuously questioned the status quo.

Art serves as a collective memory for our contemporary society. Thanks to different expressive outlets such as music, sculptures, paintings, literature and many other art forms, art has managed to preserve life as we understand it even more efficiently than old fact-based records.

As discussed above, ancient artists did an excellent job of showcasing their daily lives in the form of wall paintings and hieroglyphics. Such expressive channels allow artists of those times to showcase ancient life in the most accurate way possible.

Art also plays a communicative role as it allows people from different walks of life and cultures to communicate with one another through creative components such as photographs and stories. Indeed, people always find it a lot easier to relate to one another through different artistic representations.

Art is also the most preferred avenue to institute social change. Governments from all over the world commission artists to create sculptures and murals to sway public opinion, as well as unveil public and social information campaigns.

What can be done to highlight the importance of art in our societies?

Conceive strategies for collaboration

If art is to thrive in our modern society, we must work to create strategies that raise genuine and open collaboration.

Finding the most appropriate techniques and systems that will allow society to influence prevailing structures where they are helpful and work around them when they are an impediment will also help to ensure progress within the art sector.

Identify the right stakeholders

If the art sector is to progress, stakeholders that can join, support and advocate for solutions in the sector must also be identified and provided with the right support.

Pick possible solutions that will drive the industry forward

Solutions such as changes in policies and programs, as well as new financial models and structures, should also be acknowledged.

Recognize that the journey will be long

Change in the art sector will not occur or be embraced overnight. If we want our society to start recognizing and appreciating the value of art, we must recognize that the process will take a long-term commitment and that it will not be easy. This is not a straightforward or obvious process.

The challenges that lay in wait are numerous, including economic constraints, political instability, priority gaps, competing interests, and other complexities. These are all real and considerable challenges that will make the journey longer but worth it.

We must seize the moment

The world is currently facing massive economic and political challenges. Modern society is also facing a generational transition. Historically, the best reforms and investments in social capital have always been accomplished during similar instances of transformation and challenges.

We must seize the moment as a society to make certain that policymakers address considerable structural changes that will allow the arts sectors to prosper.