Role of Art in Society
Why Is Art So Important: The Role of Art in Society
It seems remarkably apparent and ridiculously conspicuous the effect art has in society. Communities need art
to grow and to thrive economically, culturally, and socially. Art influences our opinions, it helps us install
values and transforms experiences across space and time.
But art can’t repay the public subsidy… Right?
Art represents an investment on which there is virtually no return. So, the real question is why does art matter
and why is it so important to us?
Why Does Art Matter?
If art is a cultural and social investment that cannot guarantee audiences and if it cannot show an immediate
relevance – why does it matter?
The arts matter because they are relevant to the needs and wishes of society. Art helps individuals and
communities to express their wants and needs, and it helps them to express these wishes in memorable and
significant ways. Art allows and motivates us to communicate ideas in ways that politics or science can’t…
The arts reconstruct values and principles, and it has the power to rehabilitate marginalized structures. Art is
essential to create symbols that people identify with and is necessary to give identity to places that may not
have one.
How Art Affects Society
Right so, where the arts start, jobs follow. The arts stimulate the growth of the creative sector in the economy.
They play an important part in the strengthening and shaping of the ideas of the marketplace. The creation,
management, and distribution of art employ many.
Not only it’s economically viable, but arts also help in fulfilling self-expression. Research studies from
Newcastle University, back in 2013, revealed that attending art exhibitions and viewing contemporary art
stimulates multiple cognitive perceptions of the elderly. There is also a demonstrable, positive correlation
between schoolchildren’s grades in math and literacy and their involvement with art-related activities.
How Art Affects Individuals
Painting, sculpture, literature, and other arts are often considered to be the repository of a society’s collective
memory. Art preserves what fact-based historical reports cannot: how it felt to exist in a particular place at a
particular time.
Art, in this sense, serves as communication. It allows people from different cultures and different times to
engage with each other via images, sounds, and stories. Art is often a vehicle for social change. It can give
voice to those who feel politically or socially marginalized. A painting, a photograph, or even a simple
drawing can stir emotions in those who encounter it, inspiring them to rally for change.
The Value of Art
Despite its monetary value, arts shouldn’t be solely defined as if they were just another economic advantage to
be uprooted. That way, the arts would be put in a level of activity where measurement of effects, predictability
of results, and direction of activity are rated as conditions of success. Consequently, making cultural and
artistic goods as grounds for profitable investment.
So, is it possible to redefine the importance of art while simultaneously consolidating the fundamental
importance of its economic benefits? The short answer is yes. The long answer is: The value of Art cannot be
predicted or quantified. To reduce Art into this condition is to deny the possibility of a changeable outcome.
But Arts connect society to its past and people to its inherited ideas. The Arts challenge those connections to
find ways of exploring new journeys. The arts are evolutionary and revolutionary; they listen, they revive, and
they guide.
They resist the homogeneous, strengthen the individual and are independent in the face of the pressures of the
mass, the bland, the undifferentiated. For how big or small investments in this sector can be, the return is so far
beyond palpable.
Art’s true value lies in transforming research into ideas. Real art might fail every measurable objective set by
economists and politicians. But art is always art, no matter its variable outcome.
It promotes expression and creativity
As humans, we’re naturally drawn to art as a form of expression and communication. Toddlers love to draw, sing, and dance.
It’s a way for them to express themselves before they’re verbal. In fact, participation in the arts may even assist kids with
language, motor skills, and visual learning development. Research indicates that young people who regularly participate in
the arts are four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement later.
It helps all of us develop necessary soft skills
The importance of art in society goes far beyond what we do in our free time. It can also help people work better. When
someone applies for a job, there are certain hard skills they need to have like data analysis or bookkeeping. However, many
employers also understand the very important need for soft skills. These intangible attributes are hard to measure and often
difficult to define. Some examples include a person’s ability to adapt to change, think creatively, or collaborate with team
members.
The arts are a universal way to develop these necessary soft skills that make us better people and coworkers in the workplace.
It provides historical context
Art and human history go together. Therefore, people dedicate their lives to studying cave art, Shakespearean plays, and so
much more. When we take the time to dive into art created in the past, we can learn about other generations and eras. We can
study art to find out what those before us were facing and how they overcame it. In the same way, future generations will
learn about our current events through the art we leave behind. As The Metropolitan Museum of Art puts it: “Looking at art
from the past contributes to who we are as people. By looking at what has been done before, we gather knowledge and
inspiration that contribute to how we speak, feel, and view the world around us.”
Art leads to healthy and thoughtful cultural discussions
Art is often controversial or groundbreaking. And when art creates a stir, it has the potential to spark healthy
conversations that lead to improvements across a society. Rather than impassioned debate, art gives us an
opportunity to analyze, respond to, and create social change. How does this play out in direct impacts? Surveys
show that high school students who engage in the arts at school are twice as likely to volunteer than those who
don’t.
It gives us a place to gather as a society
Beyond personal development, the overall social impact of the arts is essential to understand. Cultures big and
small unite through the arts to build better communities. From fine art showings to community theatre, the arts
provide an opportunity to gather with other people from all walks of life. Several case studies have demonstrated
that art in rural communities specifically can help boost economic growth. Further, it strengthens the bonds
between people in these places. It’s also worth noting the importance of art in society when it comes to tourism.
Cities like New York City and Seattle are full of endless museums and theatres. But even in smaller communities
in the rest of the world, the arts provide unique economic opportunities. This type of tourism leads to jobs,
revenue, and areas for growth.
Conclusion
• Art motivates us to communicate ideas in ways that politics or science simply
cannot. It has the power to rehabilitate marginalized structures and improve
systems creatively and socially.
• The Arts affect us individually and as communities. It betters people’s lives by
helping to instigate meaningful perspectives, it stimulates us cognitively and
helps shape ideas in the marketplace.
• The arts stimulate the growth of the creative sector in the economy. The creative
sector is employing more people than ever, and less developed areas are
benefiting from cultural driven activities.
• Despite its monetary value, arts shouldn’t be solely defined as if they were just
another economic advantage to be uprooted. Real art might fail every measurable
objective set by economists and politicians. But art is always art, no matter its
variable purpose.
Paul Cézanne, The Card Players
Leonardo da Vinci, Modesty & Vanity
The painting depicts the conversion of Mary Magdalene but also serves as an allegory between
modesty and vanity.
Toulouse Lautrec,
La Chaîne Simpson
The 1890s cycling
boom inspired a classic
Toulouse-Lautrec
poster and stimulated
the growing movement
for women’s rights.
MF Husain, Mother Teressa
Tyeb Mehta, Mahishasura
Vincent van Gogh, Café
Terrace at Night
Nataraja, Chola Period
National Museum of Denmark
Mahishasuramardini, Chola period
Government Museum, Chennai
