Accessible or Elitist?
by Dan Greeson
This article originally appeared in the Winter 2024 issue of Art with Altitude.
We’re all familiar with the “art snob” stereotype: black turtleneck and designer glasses, a glass of fine wine in hand. They’re at an art gallery, discussing the work with a dismissive and condescending air, opening their wallet to fund only the most high-brow exhibits. This isn’t a character you’d ever find in Steamboat Springs … right? Some community members have questioned whether the arts are catering to those with deep pockets, creating a divide in the community between those who can afford art and arts experiences and those who cannot.
Jennifer Grathwohl, owner of Grathwohl Creative and board chair for Undiscovered Earth, has witnessed a large amount of accessible arts programs for children. She highlighted the Steamboat Symphony Orchestra program, Sprouts, a program that offers free violins and violin lessons to children, and Steamboat Dance Theatre, which gives away over $25,000 in dance scholarships to local children each year. And for some, “social media has leveled the playing field,” Jennifer said. “People can show up in the way they want and experiment in digital ways that are more cost-effective with fewer barriers.” TikTok has launched dance careers and Youtube has launched music careers.
Laura Soard, senior director of destination development and communications at the Steamboat Chamber, echoes Jennifer’s sentiments. “Art in the Park and the Free Concert Series are great examples of accessible art,” she says. While access to Art in the Park is donation based, the cost of the art varies and can cost thousands of dollars. Tickets to a concert for a family of four in a formal venue can be over $100.00. For some people, lack of transportation or cost of gas can also be a barrier to access. Restaurant workers and industry workers miss a lot of free performances because of the hours they work.
Lisa Popovich, executive director at MainStreet Steamboat, feels that the issue is nuanced. “I think we have an amazing public art program here in Steamboat,” she says, citing the abundance of murals and sculptures. “You have free shows from Piknik Theatre, the Free Summer Concert Series, and Strings’ free concert series in the Botanic Garden.” Yet Lisa has also observed the financial challenges that aspiring artists face and how this affects art pricing. “It is expensive to purchase art, but artists have to eat too,”
she says. This causes a divide between those who make the art and those who can afford to enjoy art. Post COVID-19 when the cost of living increased and housing prices and rentals soared, young artists left town because they could not afford to stay here.
There is both the perception and a reality that the arts are inaccessible to people. A gallery might be intimidating to someone who has never entered before, or there may be no affordable performance venues available for nonprofits to grow their programming but there may also be scholarships or pay-as-you go programming. It’s a balancing act between charging prices that allow artists to thrive and making sure the community has access to the art that’s being created. Can we keep the balance?
Elevate the Arts: If you can afford to, purchase local art, go to performances, donate to local arts nonprofits. If you can’t, support art and artists by tapping into free performances and enjoying galleries and museums, taking your friends and building community around art. DG
