07 January, 2008

My first post - how exciting!!

Hi everyone!

This is my very first blog. As so many of you, I have never done this before. I am just going to start out explaining what my blog is about. One of my big passions is the arts and heritage sector, for instance galleries, the museum and heritage sites.

When thinking about which topic to chose for my blog, I thought about the difficulty for arts organisations to gain both private and public funding. I found one of the reason for this in a book published by Colbert et al. The authors state that arts and cultural products are situated on a continuum with high art at one end and popular art at the other end. The problem for arts organisations is embodied in the fact that `elitist` art appeals merely to a small market segment, comprising middle and upper classes, educated professionals and their families, therefore visitor figures, extremely important to arts organisations for public and private funding, will remain low. The meaning of `elitism` which restricted art and culture to the privileged, rich and educated has been replaced by the new elitism of understanding.

I strongly believe that public relations can tackle this problem by breaking down current judgements of the sector and by broadening accessibility.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I am from a quite artisic family : my mum is an artist and my dad is a film director and used to be a camerman, having filmed more than 35 films, both documentary and feature. I am not an art specialist but it was very sad to observe them struggling to be recognised and understood by public.This was not only about fame, which plays, whatever artists say, a significant role in their lives and creativity. It was about their struggling with lack of taste, blind imitation and snobbery.It is ridiculuos when a person very far from art can judje it basing on popularity, cost or casting. I believe that meaning of `elitism` would refer to educated and and wellinformed and that it can be replaced by the new elitism of understanding. I wish public relations could change current judgements by broadening accessibility.