Debate: The fine arts are exclusive and elitist.

Kyle CutcliffeDavison HerbergBrittany LaClairErica Bareuther

Grant Rose

What is fine art?

• Fine art is an art form, which is aesthetically pleasing, as in visually or musically stimulating. Fine art exist to appreciate, not utilize.

• For instance, both painting and swimming can be considered as different art forms. Painting is practiced so as to create something to hang up on the wall to look at whereas swimming is practiced so that the participant doesn’t drown. Both are art, but only painting is fine art.

Examples of fine arts• Painting• Music• Dance• Sculpture• Photography• Theater

Exclusive and Elitist Definitions

• To be exclusive is to have restrictions and be secluded.

• To be elitist is to feel superior to others and to discriminate.

History of Fine Arts• Ancient Greece

- Towns had theaters, gymnasiums, stadiums, parks for everyone

• Medieval times- Royalty: music and dance, live performances

• Renaissance– Only the wealthy, high class people had

leisure time to devote to the arts– Men dominated the arts

• The Arts and Crafts Movement: 1880-1910– The followers of this movement sought to

bring socialist principles to bear on the arts by including the more commonplace crafts of the masses within the realm of the arts

– On the other side, the modernists sought to keep artistic endeavor as exclusive and esoteric.

More History of Fine Arts• Patronage- “the support, encouragement, privilege or financial aid

that an organization or individual bestows to another,” like a sponsor• Religious art was sponsored by churches and could be viewed by all

people• Private pieces of art would end up in houses or palaces• Historically, only the elite could own art, but others could view it• You had to have talent to be a famous part of fine arts, but anyone

could participate• Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Raphael- all from wealthy families with

educations and connections• No women• Wealthier people could afford to go to art schools

• To get a better understanding of the debate, we could rephrase the heading to “Fine arts attract a limited number of social groups while it thinks of itself as better than other social groups and then discriminates against them.”

• Let’s assume that this argument is directed toward both participating artists as well as spectators.

• The two different sides of the argument are:The fine arts are exclusive and elitist.

The fine arts are accepting and humble.

The fine arts are exclusive and elitist.

• History shows that only the wealthy could be patrons of the arts. • Wealth- Rich people have more resources to buy art, participate

in art, and appreciate art. A lot of fine art comes with a hefty price tag that most people can’t afford to pay.

• Location- People who live in cities have better and more access to art museums, exhibits, and productions.

• Race- Fine art has traditionally been associated with high class, white Europeans.

• Priorities- The fine arts are for people who have free time for leisure activities. Lower class people have a lot more to worry about and don’t have time for things like art.

The fine arts are accepting and humble.

• Therapeutic work- Many people use art as a form of therapy. By doing this, they are

• Public school- art education and • Art museums- Many art museums are free and

open to the public. This ensures that everyone gets an equal chance to enjoy art.

• Public displays of art• There is a belief that art should be available for

all people to enjoy.

In Conclusion…

• Some forms of fine art are exclusive, and some aren’t. It depends on the type of art. For example, there are a lot of museums that are free, but some Broadway shows cost hundreds of dollars. In history, art was more exclusive than it is now. Today, many people can consider art an enjoyable way to spend leisure time, wealthy or not.