ANALYSIS

Looking at the effect of the pandemic on the arts from an anthropological standpoint, I see that there are certain cultural and economic structures set in place that put the arts at higher vulnerability for financial stress. Despite this, they have continued to build morale and serve communities, and possibly even thrive.

​

In a capitalist system where creative fields outside of basic fields such as medicine, and engineering, are not always seen as productive. The arts are not always a fundamental need and are often reliant on in-person interactions explaining why there was a decrease in income throughout the pandemic. Buck’s “Inequality” describes cultural determination and class markers that could impact the way the arts are viewed and compensated. According to Buck, cultural determination describes “how human behavior is heavily influenced…by the culture of the particular group in which a person lives.” A capitalist society where the arts are not viewed as fundamental places those in creative fields at a higher risk of compensation loss. In a time of a catastrophe, our society is focused on basics such as food, social wellbeing, and health which are not necessarily derived from arts.

​

Amidst the financial struggle for artists during covid-19, artists continue to pour themselves into their communities. They have been able to build morale through beauty and trying to maintain a sense of normalcy, such as classes with an art organization, teachers providing an outlet for their students, and muralists bringing color to a town. Art therapy and creative resources have served medical communities by bridging gaps for marginalized people. It seems that certain fields such as digital photography, videography, and marketing have thrived during the pandemic. Examples are digital marketing specialists who have provided an avenue for online businesses to stay operating, and photographers and videographers who were able to document life moments that couldn’t be shared with others in person.

​

In conclusion, the arts are like a machine that has many moving parts where some have been negatively impacted and can be viewed as unessential in our capitalist society and others are stronger than ever, yet the whole machine is working hard. It is incredibly valuable to affirm the ways arts build morale, serve communities, and bring beauty so that we can propel them to thrive.