Who Gets to Make Art? And Who Doesn’t?
Artists are often seen as boundary-breakers, dreamers, and rebels. But behind the romanticized idea of the artist lies a sobering reality: creativity costs. From the price of art/music school to the unpaid time it takes to hone a craft, many of today’s most celebrated artists come from backgrounds that afford them time, money, and access. In 2025, the question isn’t just "Who is talented?" but "Who can afford to be talented?"
The Financial Barrier to Entry
Becoming a working artist isn’t just about vision and grit. It requires resources. Visual artists often pay for materials, studio space, and exhibition fees. Musicians may invest in equipment, lessons, and recording time. Dancers need rehearsal space, physical therapy, and sometimes a second job just to survive. When you add in the cost of formal training—think $40,000+ MFA programs or conservatory degrees—the arts start to look less like a meritocracy and more like a playground for the privileged.
This financial divide often begins early. Students whose families can pay for lessons, private tutors, summer programs, and unpaid internships start with a major leg up. As adults, those who don’t need to rely on their art for income can take more creative risks, apply for residencies, or say "no" to exploitative gigs. For artists without a safety net, every decision is a calculation between passion and survival.
The arts are expensive—and that raises important questions. If we want lessons and training to be more accessible, how do we ensure that music and art teachers are still paid a living wage? This conversation naturally expands into broader issues, like the push to add the “A” into STEM—turning it into STEAM—and recognizing the arts as an essential part of education. Greater recognition could mean more public funding for creative programs, especially in public schools.
But the deeper issue is cultural: how do we shift the narrative so that the arts are valued not just as a “creative outlet,” but as vital to personal development, mental health, and even upward mobility? For many, art isn’t a luxury—it’s a lifeline, a means of being seen, finding role models, a positive social change “tool”, and building a future.
