The Detroit Institute of Arts, a nonprofit establishment, is one of the attractions for both tourists and locals. The DIA was established in 1885, and changed locations in 1927 due to the growing art collection, which is amongst one of the top in America. The new location for the DIA is known as the temple of art. The DIA holds a plethora of artworks that range from American to Islamic, Contemporary to Ancient, and Asian to African. They are open everyday except Mondays.
When I hear Detroit, the first word that I think of is cars. Chrysler, Ford and General Motors are known to be the Big Three or the Detroit Three. I was interested to find that Detroit is also well known for its art collection. This article explains how the DIA was thanking the people in the three counties around Detroit for voting the increase the real estate tax, resulting in the DIA receiving $23 million annually. However, in late May, the institution suffered greatly due to numerous years of mismanagement and the decreasing Detroit population. As a possible solution to the $18 billion debt, it was suggested that the DIA sell some of its art. This will go against DIA’s not-for-profit position. As a result, the institution will also need to pay taxes as well.
The article also takes about the disregard for the arts in America. America is trying to become a nation that consumes less and produces more. In order for this to happen, America has to take the arts more into consideration in schools for all students.
I completely disagree with the people who suggested to sell artwork as a way to pay off the debt. Selling one of the few remaining attractions in Detroit will result in a more decreasing population. In addition, selling artwork will not completely cover the debt. Not only will Detroit lose one of its prized institutions, the other companies within Detroit will suffer as well. For example, there will be less workers available for the Detroit Three to hire. With the art institution gone and no other attractions besides the car producing factories in Detroit, the city will experience economic problems.
I also feel the same way with regard to liberal arts as does the article. The liberal arts is quickly disappearing from America’s curriculum. Liberal arts is a fundamental group of subjects that every student should be exposed to at an earlier age and for a longer period of time. The liberal arts fosters creativity and knowledge that will be helpful in the future. In my opinion, the liberal arts is also the most interesting out of other areas of studies. Even though it costs extra for schools to have liberal arts courses, I believe that the extra money is worth the experience and wisdom that the students will obtain.
What is your opinion on liberal arts? Should America continue to disregard liberal arts, or should America take the arts more into consideration? Have any of you been to the DIA? If so, how was the experience?
You can find the article here!
Detroit was already experiencing economic problems before they started contemplating the selling of art. However, I do agree that the selling of their prized art pieces will only further damage future of Detroit.
As you said, this is just another example of the fading influence liberal arts has in America. There are numerous museums in the populous states of the U.S. However, outside of those states, art is literally nonexistent for those not aiming to become an artist, an art critic, or any profession unassociated with art in general. Even in the states and cities where museums are everywhere, the interest in them are minimal.
You don’t see many teenagers voluntarily entering a museum to browse around, even if the entry fee is free. I find that the problem lies within the schools. Whenever schools are short in funding, they cut classes in the arts and music first – at least, that’s the trend I seem to find true. In many schools that don’t concentrate in arts and music in the first place, students do not develop an appreciation for such hobbies as analyzing paintings. Some are barely aware of the fact that they can go to the MET or the MoMA which is just a train ride and a couple bus transfers away.
The high school that I came from placed a heavy emphasis on music and art even though it was a math and science school. This might be the reason why I find it quite absurd that so many students in just NYC alone are unaware of the declining influence of the arts.
I agree that the first subjects that schools cut are art and music related ones when there is less money for schools to spend. Also, just to expand on your comment, I think the reason it is hard for upcoming artists to succeed is due to the not caring attitude for liberal arts.
I’m glad though that your high school concentrated on music and art! At least there are some schools out there still trying to keep the liberal arts much alive!
I really agree with what you said about how liberal arts are important and should be kept in the American curriculum. It seems that liberal arts classes are the first to be cut when a school is running low on money or their funding is being cut and I believe this is wrong. Why are we more concerned about subjects like math and science? Do we as a society glorify these areas of studies more? I really think we do. I came from a high school that specialized in math and science. They had a ton of great classes in those areas too, but they didn’t neglect liberal arts either. We were all mandated to take art history, music history, and were given the option to take classes like film, photography, acting and watercoloring. So I think schools but also society should put just as much emphasis on the liberal arts as they do to any other subject.
In regards to the DIA, I believe that they shouldn’t sell the artworks and instead should find another way to try to get out of debt. For example hold fundraisers or try to ask for donations from fellow art lovers and museum enthusiasts. I believe that selling the artwork is a cowardly way of trying to get out of a situation they created by mismanaging the money they had.
The author of the article loves to extol the value of the art, which I agree, is indeed valuable. My problem is that he offers no solution for how to solve the debt problem. Even worse, he completely neglects to portray the severity of the problem that Detroit is facing. He does not compare the value of the art to the other services that the city has either already given up or will give up if they do not fix the balance sheets. Is the art more valuable than having a police force that doesn’t takes 30 minutes to respond to a distress call? Is it more valuable than having street lights so that your life isn’t dictated and confined by the number of hours of sunlight? The fact is that the city is in debt and there is no good option, only a series of bad ones. So, at the risk of sounding like our current administration, one must ask “what is the least worst option?” Perhaps, at least in part, it’s selling some art.
Also, I found it very provincial the way the author notes that “the buyers most likely able to afford them would be private collectors from Russia, China or the Middle East.” He doesn’t offer an explanation for why this should be of concern to the reader, but implies that we as Americans are more deserving of the paintings and that we, in the United States can appreciate the art in a way that foreigners can not. When you are championing one nation’s people over that of another nations, nationalism can look a lot like racism.
Here is a glimpse at the city’s safety issues:
http://www.governing.com/columns/urban-notebook/col-crime-not-debt-detroits-biggest-problem.html
http://www.freep.com/article/20130819/NEWS01/308190015/James-Van-Horn-eat-em-up-tigers-Michael-Alston-dreadlock-mike-fatal-hit-and-run-gratiot-Gregory-Holm
It’s relieving to hear that your high school held an equal emphasis on the arts and other subjects! I wish that other schools would do this as well. I believe that we glorify other areas of studies more than the arts because society thinks that that is where we will succeed. For example, my parents wanted me to become a doctor or lawyer. In their mind, those careers don’t require the arts. I’m sure my parents aren’t the only ones who think like that as well.
I like your solutions to the debt situation. I agree selling artwork is a cowardly way of “escaping” the debt and will result in Detroit not being known for anything else than its car production.
It’s relieving to hear that your high school held an equal emphasis on the arts and other subjects! I wish that other schools would do this as well. I believe that we glorify other areas of studies more than the arts because society thinks that that is where we will succeed. For example, my parents wanted me to become a doctor or lawyer. In their mind, those careers don’t require the arts. I’m sure my parents aren’t the only ones who think like that as well.
I like your solutions to the debt situation. I agree selling artwork is a cowardly way of “escaping” the debt and will result in Detroit not being known for anything else than its car production.
I think liberal arts are extremely important. In middle school, I took a Graphic Arts class and not only did it introduce me to Photoshop, it also made me realize how much I loved to play around on Photoshop even after leaving the class. I can definitely say that Photoshop has saved my life multiple times in my academic career. If I had not taken that class, a liberal arts class, I would be lacking yet another skill. Likewise for other people who need to take photography or art history or music theory in high school, the class may make them realize what their passions actually are. They may decide they didn’t want to go the math/science route and instead be creative and go the music route.
It would be a real shame if the DIA ended up selling the art; all of those wonderful masterpieces will be gone from such a monumental establishment.
I find the arts to be an extremely important institution in the world. I have always said the persons of centuries ago were smarter and had stronger vocabularies because they studied the arts as a class system. The more you knew or the more adept you were the more important you were. I don’t agree with the fact that America disregards the arts. Although we are not Europe and did not have Mozart or Van Gogh inspired by our lands we are a newer country that still had our Robert Walter Weir and William Mount.
When I was in elementary school I learned how to play the recorder, I’m sure if I picked one up today I would still have the proper technique. Not that it requires much learning. In middle division I was required to take a music appreciation course that taught me and my fellow students all about how instruments are made and how they have evolved over time. In high I also took a mandatory music appreciation course on musicians and their lives. Although I enjoy the arts and go to museums on my free time these courses were all mandatory by my schooling.
I believe Detroit must sell their artwork. The city has been in debt for a couple of years now and how else are they to start a new. I understand all the artwork would be sold to private collectors from Russia, China and the Middle East so why not have some governmental supervision of these auctions. Why not make a ruling of some sort that these works of art either must be sold to Americans or are not for sale but for a loan.
I really think the decision here is quite difficult. While I do value arts and the liberal arts in general I find the economic problems that have overtaken Detroit to be some of the worst in the world. When the economy crashed several years ago Detroit was hit the hardest. WIth the economy falling apart and consumers buying fewer cars the auto industry was laying off thousands and thousands of workers. Detroit has been in despair ever since then and even with the economy recovering around the country Detroit is still in a state of depression. Given that, I still would not sell off the art because of the limited impact it will play in helping the recovery. So while Detroit needs our help I don’t think selling their prized art is the solution.
I never have been to the DIA or many other art museums for that matter and personally, I am ashamed of it. I wish that I was more exposed to art at a younger age and hate to part of the people in America who disregards its value. I agree with your argument that liberal arts should take on a bigger role in education through the earlier years of schooling and it is indeed worth the extra money to be incorporated in the curriculum of schools who wish to enable students to be well rounded. It is important when young, to be exposed to many different areas of study because without this exposure, there is no diversity among the children of the coming generation.
It is sad that the museum was given the suggestion of selling the artwork although it does seem like the only thing that they can do given their situation. Even though I have no personal connection with it, the museum sounds like a cultural staple of Detroit. There are so few times that we remember to appreciate art on the whole, so it is a shame that the museum must sell pieces that hang in a communal place where people do actually have the opportunity to go and see them. It is unfortunate that art and music are a diminishing subject of interest. With the coming times, maybe the old fashioned Renaissance talents are not as respected and appreciated as they once were. Maybe businessmen and engineers are the professions of this age however, if we forget our roots as and forget to appreciate all kinds of beauty, we are narrowing the spectrum of things that make our society so interesting to begin with.
I agree with your intake on selling art. Because the DIA is selling away their pieces of art, it will definitely lead to a decline in the number of people who view the art at their museum. In fact, I think that the the DIA should be doing the complete opposite-adding art. That way, more people will be attracted to the new exhibits and be more involved and interested in perhaps, making donations to the DIA to help them with their debt.
America should take any art in general, more into consideration. I remember that when I was in middle school, I was offered the option of taking either drama, art, band, chorus, or dance as a performing arts class. However, as my brother now attends the same middle school, I asked him which class he chose and he said that there were only two choices: band or chorus. I was shocked because they removed many of the other classes. As a person who loves viewing various types of art, I feel like art opens up new viewpoints on our insight to the world. It allows for free expression and interpretation often with no right or wrong answers. Because of that, we get the opportunity to appreciate art through our own free thinking and to share our thoughts with the people around us, helping us expand our ideas.
Growing up, my family never really focused much around liberal arts. Probably because my parents themselves are inexperienced with this subject, I grew up in a very math and science oriented lifestyle. But now, going through middle and high school, I have grown fond of art and its forms, and hearing about DIA selling away their art is incredibly sad. I completely agree that this is a bad decision. Not only are they selling off priceless pieces of art that resemble the history of Detroit, but they are harming the economy in Detroit.
I think that art is an incredible way to broaden one’s horizon. Viewing art and making opinions on it can help one build their personality and understand the type of values that one has. Especially because many kids like me grow up with a very black and white mindset, I think liberal arts should be expanded in schools everywhere. People should not take the arts lightly, shrugging it off as nothing, because it can help create bright minds and leaders.
I don’t entirely disagree with your viewpoint about the liberal arts curriculum, but I think that even though the liberal arts don’t seem to have been stressed in schools, American students have been reported to be falling behind in the math and science rankings as compared to the rest of the world. Many people I know absolutely abhor math and science, and enjoy art more. So are the arts not being stressed as much in order to get students more interested in fields like math and science?
You brought up a really interesting point regarding how the DIA would pay off its debt. I don’t think it should sell its artwork either. Maybe instead, the city could hold a fundraiser or emphasize the importance of donations. Perhaps it could even advertise through social media, which would expand its audience.