We believe this because we too easily accept that artists cannot manage their affairs and make money. Society has no need of starving artists. It does, however, have a profound need of visionary pioneers. It needs productive builders of cultural products, a new heritage and future traditions. Our prominent museums and foremost galleries illustrate that the future will look to this present time and interpret many of our values and ways of life through today's art and artists.
Many artists know how to manage their affairs and safeguard their unique vision and imagery.
What makes these artists successful is not only reputation. Reputation or fame is an elusive phenomenon in the arts, and one which we all know from common knowledge may not come until after the artist dies. Some artists who may have been failures in their own lifetimes achieve this status well after they are no longer in the land of the living. For our present purposes, however, we want to consider active and living artists, those who allow themselves the opportunity to experiment, to create new vistas, to make political statements, or to struggle with issues in self-identity. These are individuals who garner a living and manage their business affairs.