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Challenges in the Arts in the 21st Century

American Artscape | 2016 No. 2
Cover NEA Arts No 2 2016
Patrick Dougherty’s Shindig, 2015, made of willow, at the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, DC. Photo by Ron Blunt 
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The 21st century has been a time of rapid change across nearly every dimension, from science and healthcare to technology and communication. Art, of course, is no exception. With massive changes in how we consume art to how we create it, from how artists make a living to how we even categorize art in the first place, we are left to contend with issues that at one time did not exist, or at least existed differently.

The 21st century has been a time of rapid change across nearly every dimension, from science and healthcare to technology and communication. Art, of course, is no exception. With massive changes in how we consume art to how we create it, from how artists make a living to how we even categorize art in the first place, we are left to contend with issues that at one time did not exist, or at least existed differently.

In this issue, we attempt to look at a few issues facing various artistic disciplines. For instance, how do conservators preserve art that’s increasingly made from unconventional materials? What does it mean to be a Native-American artist in a country still plagued by old stereotypes? How do television critics do their job in an age of streaming media? How do we measure the value of art in an increasingly data-driven world, and how do teaching artists make a living within the old confines of academia?

None of these challenges have black-and-white answers, and none of these articles are meant to propose any solutions. Rather, we hope these pieces will capture a moment in time, and shed light on just some of the complexities that exist within the art world today.

Included in this Issue

Yellow room with glass vitrine in the middle

The Idea or the Physicality?

The Question of Conserving Ephemeral Artworks
Man standing and talking to group of seated teens

Finding Time for Art

The Challenges of Being a Teaching Artist
Contemporary art sculpture of cow skull

Outside the Box

Finding a Place for Contemporary Native-American Art
Flat-screen television resting on CRT television

Traversing the Wasteland

Television Criticism in the 21st Century
Black and white photo of a man in a hat

On (Not) Measuring Arts and Culture

An Interview with Leon Wieseltier
A ypoung in a meditation pose aittiing on a skate board while a number of people go about their business around him.

Cutting through the Noise: Music Royalties in the Digital Age

Audio Available
Woman gesturing to actors on stage.

Looking Back to Move Forward

The Importance of Classical Drama in a Modern World
Audio Available

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