Opinion: The Arts, The Economy, and Our Future
Met Opera Ballet member Cara Seymour gives a clear-eyed and candid strategy to ensure that arts and culture don’t just survive, but thrive after the pandemic.
by Cara Seymour
Cara Seymour, a talented dancer at the Met. Photo: Chris Comfort.
There is a lot to unpack in Jason Farago’s article ‘The Arts Are In Crisis. Here’s How Biden Can Help’ published in The New York Times on January 13th, 2021.
Art is a necessary part of a functioning society. We only have to look to history to see that major societal changes are often ushered in by the artists and creators of the era (most notably: The Renaissance). Art makes us question our place in the world, and by doing so we inherently build empathy and understanding for those who are different than us. These are core components of a functioning society and as we have seen in recent times, empathy and understanding are at an all-time low. However, not all art is created equal.
Most widely-accessible artistic endeavors today that are seen as ‘successes’ are profit-driven. However, profit-driven art often leaves much to be desired. You can’t always trust the taste and desires of the masses. I know that sounds very snobby-urban-elitist of me, but a quick search of the biggest box office blockbusters will reveal a long list of insipid action-adventure movies. Meanwhile, the financial backbone of Broadway is nothing more than a live-action version of the Disney channel. Not to say that there is anything wrong with pure entertainment, but I doubt that these shows are inciting any sort of deep introspection. On the other end of the spectrum, we have esoteric and onanistic art that completely ignores the demands and desires of potential audiences, while expending far more resources than the work could reasonably justify. Neither of these extremes are conducive to producing the artistic landscape that we, as a society, need. There is a middle ground to be found here. While I’m in support of additional government funding for arts organizations, this funding should not absolve recipients of their obligation to operate in a self-sustaining, revenue-motivated structure.
Artists, dancers, playwrights, choreographers, and musicians shouldn’t have to constantly beg for whatever minimal grant money is available. Funds should be made more widely available to creators in order to allow for more up-and-coming, experimental, and grittier work to be made. However, just as job applicants are expected to have work experience in order to secure an entry level job, only those creators who have previously showcased work are seen as viable funding recipients. You can’t get funds to make work if you don’t have work to show, which you can’t have created without the funds. See the problem? This vicious cycle results in grant money being awarded to the same cultural titans year after year, stunting artistic innovation.
We also have an accessibility problem that has put us in a revolving door of doom for the arts. In order to successfully petition the government and receive funding for new projects that utilize tax payer dollars, we first have to convince plenty of Americans (at least 76 million…) that the arts are necessary and important. It’s difficult to convince Americans that live in 'cultural deserts’ to recognize the value of arts if the town they live in doesn’t even have a mural in place, let alone a museum or an arts center. My career is the result of arts funds being utilized to build an Arts Center in an overlooked rural town. (Shoutout to The Ashtabula Arts Center!) A federal plan akin to Roosevelt’s WPA could allow the arts to exist more fully outside of their cultural urban bubbles, and by doing so could narrow the gap of understanding.
Cara in costume for her sizzling solo work in Michael Mayer’s production of La Traviata.
Perhaps this gap in understanding could also be solved with a more robust arts education program, and not one that is only targeted to kids. Finger painting and creative movement classes in school are great outlets for kids and can often serve as motivation to get kids to show up to school in the first place. However, we also need an education enterprise geared towards adults. Our industry seems unapproachable and elitist at times because, frankly, it is. There are few programs designed to teach adults how to view a piece of art, what to look for in a dance performance, or how to listen to music. The minute that most of us don’t understand something, we tune out, just as we can comfortably enjoy a meal next to a couple arguing in a foreign language and remain blissfully unaware. Audience education programs are needed if we are to convince Americans of the importance of the arts. This type of education needs to go beyond the ‘talk backs’ after shows, a measly program note, or a small piece of poetic copy under an art work explaining the artists ‘intention.’ The beauty of the arts is that much is left to interpretation, but this can also be our downfall if nothing is explained to the more novice arts patrons. We must provide a gateway to understanding and appreciating the arts.
There are plenty of pressing funding items that President Biden will be dealing with as he starts his term, and I’m sure people would rail against additional funding for the arts. However, if we want to continue to be a progressive society, we should stop seeing arts funding as an expense and start treating it as both an important economic engine and an investment in our civilization’s future. We don’t need to look far into the past to see what the world without art would look like: an artless society was on full display at the Capitol on January 6th. I think we can all agree that this isn’t the type of world we want to live in.
Cara (left) acknowledging co-star Garen Scribner during La Traviata bows.
Photo: Chris Comfort
Cara Seymour is a NYC-based freelance dancer and performer. Seymour received her B.F.A. in Dance from The Juilliard School. Her performing career has included work with Company XIV, The Metropolitan Opera Ballet, Bennyroyce Dance, Brian Brooks Moving Company, MOMIX, White Wave Dance, and Spiegelworld, among others. Throughout her time with The Metropolitan Opera Ballet, Seymour has performed a variety of soloist and titled roles.
