7 Ways to Support Artists
By Jenn Trap on 2009-01-22 16:20:15
In Ireland, an artist will pay no income tax on earnings below $250,000 euros. In other Scandinavian countries, artists receive government support and income contributions over the course of a lifetime. In Australia, legislation allows artists to average their income over 5 years to help protect them from the highs and lows of their careers.
In the United States, we still have a lot to learn about nurturing artists whose main purpose is to help us define our lives. Last summer, the country's arts and culture sector produced $84.6 billion in economic activity.
Two decades ago, the fed government offered artists the chance to average their income over several tax ears to mitigate the ups and downs that are an artistic reality. New York City is among the better places that subsidized affordable workspace for artists. This allows the artists to focus on their work while not having to worry about paying the rent the following month, which could hinder their artistic abilities.
Some in opposition believe measures as the ones taken in New York are not the proper direction for the artist. Many opponents believe the government bailouts of artists only leads to a dependency on government intervention and aid. But advocates claim that great art comes at the price of "free work", believing that the artistic output of these individuals benefits society in the long run. Regardless of the outcome, many artists are starving and in dire need of government help.
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