Four sentences that stand out from the NYT’s story on the NEA’s study of Artists in the Workforce:
1. “If every artist in America’s work force banded together, their ranks would be double the size of the United States Army. ”
2. “Among artists under 35, writers are the only group in which 80 percent or more are non-Hispanic white.”
3. “Overall, the median income that artists reported in 2005 was $34,800 — $42,000 for men and $27,300 for women. ”
4. “‘Many performing artists are underemployed,’ Mr. Gioia said, ‘but one of the stereotypes we’re trying to debunk is that artists are mostly marginal and unemployed.’”
“If every artist in America’s work force banded together, their ranks would be double the size of the United States Army. ”
Yeah, but the army has all the guns.
The shocking fact to surface is the disparity between men’s and women’s incomes.
Art is no different from the general workforce, I guess.