Artists deserve to be paid a living wage for the beauty and vibrancy we bring to the world.
The passion of the creative class far too often leaves us vulnerable for being taken advantage of. We love the work so much that we are willing to go above and beyond simply for the opportunity to see that work actually exist.
Today, on this Labor Day, business people of the world and the artists of the world should ask themselves:
“Is art and creativity valuable? Is art and creativity valuable to businesses, municipalities, consumers, landowners, families, children, and even entire countries? Is art and creativity valuable to this existence?”
If the answer is yes (which it is), then art and creativity should be paid for with real, actual money.
No more working for exposure. No more asking artists to volunteer their time. No more commissions that wildly undervalue the work it takes an artist to create a piece.
Want a mural painted on the side of your building? Pay for it, and pay a living wage based on how many hours it takes to create it. Does that mural on the side of your building bring value to your business? Of course it does. Pay for it.
Artists, demand proper payment. You speak for the entire creative industry in this world when you accept gigs that undervalue you — ask for value that is deserved for the amount of skilled labor it takes to deliver the work.
Art world, stop looking down at artists that find creative ways to make money. Stop criticizing for-profit ventures, and acting like creative credibility is lost if monetary value is earned. We are starving artists because often times we knock the food out of the mouths of fellow artists, and we are unable to reconcile the value of our creativity and our despise of money.
Meow Wolf believes that an uplifted creative class means a more equitable society, and a society that is more beautiful and enjoyable to live in. Creativity activates the human experience and enhances the quality of life for everyone that is touched by it. Creativity is an infrastructural element to our enjoyed existence and deserves to be valued right alongside other infrastructure like industrial and technological.
As business owners, we are committed to raising the value of creativity, because ultimately we know our world will be a better world for it. Today on this Labor Day, we challenge all of our fellow business owners to do the same and we thank all of the creatives for the beauty you bring to our lives through your work.
