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This is a tumultuous time to work in the arts. The arts are becoming more politicized by the day, funders are changing their priorities and processes, and Americans are being a little more cautious with their disposable income. In some parts of the country, merely participating in the arts is seen as signaling your political leanings.
In my opinion, this politicization disrupts the economic viability of local arts communities and can delay or complicate individual self-exploration through the arts. It can also make it harder to be an advocate for the arts; It’s hard to stand out in the din of messaging — unless you’re willing to go far enough to make yourself a target — and that can undermine the fun and enrichment of participating in the arts in the first place.
So, what is an art lover to do? Fear not! There are many ways that we, as individuals, can advocate for the visual and performing arts in our own backyards, tone down partisan rhetoric and invite our neighbors and peers to share in the amazing benefits of the arts.
Here are six simple things every supporter of the arts can do to help strengthen America’s creative economy and facilitate arts access to everyone, everywhere:
1. Buy Local Art
It’s pretty simple: Find a local gallery or gift shop featuring items made by local creatives and spend some money there. If you don’t have a local gallery, keep your eyes open for winter markets or search Etsy for your town or state. Don’t forget to search for work by local musicians to purchase through streaming services, too.
If you can’t afford a big arts purchase at this moment, consider setting a goal for a monthly or annual art budget so that you can save up for larger pieces. Spending your money in your local community on the arts makes your local artists more viable and builds their influence in your community: You are literally assigning them value. It also communicates that artists don’t have to be from somewhere else to be relevant. Inspirational talent can spring up in your own backyard.
2. Invite a Leader
Next time you add a local concert, play, gallery opening or other art event to your calendar, take a moment to invite an influential friend to come along with you. Whether you have a direct line to an elected official, a social influencer or simply a neighbor who loves to post on your neighborhood message board, you can help facilitate an arts experience that is likely to make a positive, long-lasting, personal impact. It’s hard to rail against something you have personally experienced and enjoyed, so the more we can make local arts experiences real and personal, the better. And, who knows? Your friend might end up being the perfect patron or promoter for your local arts community!
The Rolling Stone Culture Council is an invitation-only community for Influencers, Innovators and Creatives. Do I qualify?
3. Share Your Stories
Any time you have a positive artsy moment, consider sharing it via social media. Your pictures and stories can help your social media followers discover local artists and performers, as well as envision their own participation. It can also help normalize participation in and patronage of the arts and can raise the expectation that you and people like you can and should go to arts events regularly.
4. Make Connections on Behalf of the Arts
The business of art can be overwhelming. Many professional artists spend as much or more time dealing with the administration of their business than creating art. That can make it hard for artists to prioritize networking or connecting to their community.
You can be on the lookout for opportunities for artists: If you know of a company that wants to redo their interior design, remind them of a local gallery or artist who might supply cool artwork for their space. If you know of a restaurant that wants to boost business, encourage them to host a local music series. Encourage your community to add new public art by sharing photos of pieces you like in other towns and tagging your local parks department or municipality. Sometimes, leaders need help seeing where the arts can fit, and once it’s pointed out, the absence of the arts can become a glaring hole that must be filled!
5. Support Companies That Support the Arts
If you’re scheduling a lunch meeting and you have the choice between a restaurant that displays local art and one that doesn’t, choose the one with art and let them know that that’s why you came. If you need an oil change and one local mechanic recently put in a mural, go there. Sometimes, choosing the place that supports the arts will mean that you spend a little bit more, but that’s all part of the process of building the value of the arts. If they’re worth having, they’re worth paying for.
6. Know Thyself
You don’t have to have an art degree to like art. You just have to be willing to recognize and admit what you like. Part of the joy of the arts is that art is highly subjective: What you see, hear or enjoy is entirely up to you. Sharing this joy with others can sometimes reveal that your perspective is especially unusual, but it can also invite others to see the world in a new way and, perhaps, appreciate you along with your unique perspective. You can be an advocate for the arts simply by being courageous enough to put words to why you find something appealing.
Those aren’t so hard, right?
Saying that you want to advocate for something can drudge up visions of lobbyists or protestors — squeaky wheels who make life harder for people in Congress. But advocacy is really about noticing the ways that we can find room for and prioritize the things we value. Being an advocate for the arts can be as simple as recognizing a neighbor’s effort to create something interesting and validating it, or noticing a hole where the arts are missing and working to fill it.
