Comments on: Why Not Forgive All Student Loans to Artists to Stimulate the Economy?

By: Selidbe

Selidbe — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 18:58:08 +0000

Your arguments are well explained and reflect the situation in other countries in the world as well. Supporting artists is both brave and dangerous. Hardly ever have people (in general) understood the importance and value of art. I hope this will change some day. Looking forward to it.

By: Topaz

Topaz — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 23:48:17 +0000

Student loan forgiveness for all students would be nice especially now. I’m currently going to school for graphic design and wasn’t left with much of a choice but to take out a loan to cover the cost of attending because Pell only covered a portion. Scholarships are helpful however they are extremely hard to win as well as earn. Art isn’t my only specialty since I do some writing as well. Finding a job as an artist isn’t difficult because they are out there. The problem comes in when the company/business looking to hire an artist, seeing the education and work history, may feel hesitant to hire due in part to not wanting to pay out the amount the artist is worth. I am doing work as a freelancer (both writing and art) and it works just fine but there is a lot competition in the market.

By: Stu Grimson

Stu Grimson — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 16:24:35 +0000

Your post answers its own question: Why are there something like 105,000 degreed artists (and who knows how many non-degreed artists/illustrators/designers/etc) who are all waiting tables? Answer: Because there are 105,000 degreed artists (+ the others), and we have no use for that many artists. No civilization in history needs, or can long support, such a large number of people sitting around with a guitar or a paintbrush and calling that their “contribution”. Don’t get me wrong, I love art; but you are not entitled to be an artist and make a living doing it any more than I am entitled to a job playing hockey or testing video games. The reason most non-artists get annoyed with artists is this profound sense of entitlement.

I do think that you should have recourse against the borderline criminal art schools selling you access to the art world for $50k a year, knowing full well that 95% of you will fail and a full 98% will never get a ROI on your degree. The whole thing seems like a giant scam to me, and art school kids with stars in their eyes and no world experience at 17-18 years old seem like the suckers. I have heard over and over from my artist friends that the real value in good art schools comes from the connections and relationships you form, but that’s just another way of saying “We have the keys to the world you want to be a part of; pay us stupid amounts of money and you can use our school’s name to lend your work credibility.” It’s just a scam, with a gatekeeper charging for access despite knowing that most of you will drop off a cliff as soon as you walk through the door.

(I have a lot of artist friends and it’s been very frustrating to see them beat themselves up over their financial failures and the difficulty of breaking into that insular little world.)

-Stu, electrical engineer who would much rather have a job studying ancient religions and civilizations but who realizes that you have to get a real job doing something society needs in order to earn the leisure to sit around reading books or making art all day

By: Frank Lostaunau

Frank Lostaunau — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 06:17:24 +0000

Incidentally, I thought that students understood that higher education = DEBT! i was misinformed…

also, if you have no idea how to pay your debts, you’re in deep do-do…

By: Frank Lostaunau

Frank Lostaunau — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 06:08:35 +0000

Don’t borrow money if you don’t want pay it back. Keep it simple.

I know artists that sit around and talk. They also work hard to pay their bills and raise families.

Don’t go to art school, you’ll end up broke. It’s overrated!

If you don’t work and earn money, pay your bills, and have a life, too bad.

Don’t expect me to buy you a cup of coffee. sheeeeesh…

By: Stephanie Syjuco

Stephanie Syjuco — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 03:46:36 +0000

I come to this discussion late in the game but I commend Chris Cobb for bringing to the table a discussion that actually provokes a host of responses from the public. Kudos to those who provided thoughtful responses! Boo to those who saw it as an opportunity to sling insults.

By: Jack von Bauer

Jack von Bauer — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 19:20:10 +0000

41 years old. And the mind of a ten year old. Saddo member of the Pee Party.

You are to art what Jeffrey Dahmer was to gay outreach.

By: Jack von Bauer

Jack von Bauer — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 19:17:50 +0000

Yawn. Another boring thieving socialist. Like the world doesn’t have enough already.

By: Chris Cobb

Chris Cobb — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 17:29:55 +0000

Actually this post was preceded by another I wrote a few months back on art school/student loan dilemma: http://blog.sfmoma.org/2011/03/your-student-loans-are-totally-killing-you-dude/

By: S.P. Reid

S.P. Reid — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 09:49:55 +0000

Thanks for the response. Yep, I read the whole post. I totally agree about a conversation. Nobody sits around and talks anymore, and that’s a good point that the best comments are a conversation. It seems like gatekeepers/editors simply want to keep it dumbed down like Huxley would have predicted. la la la don’t rock the boat. I believe that a ‘major’ artist or sponsor who is operating in reality would love to have feedback on their operations, views, perspectives, and what they say. Especially if the feedback is from peers, end users, or consumers or if it was me, anybody with a unique perspective that I can learn from, ruminate on, or take and run with. So maybe the problem is a lack of bravery on the ‘blog post’ editor’s part. The gatekeeper. This is where SFMOMA rules. I hope you take this topic further into a post someday; I would love to read what you have to say about it at length after exploring the concept for a while. I cannot possibly be the only artist with this view/experience.