Still with their snouts in the trough

[bitingmidge]

Lignum - didnt the "100K for painting trees blue artist" get the 56K for having the contract reneged on and for the paint they bought.... i.e. 56K for nothing!

Bargain!

It's still being talked about and it saved the taxpayer 44K !

Now how much better off are you all with that in your pockets?

What have you achieved with the balance?

Peter?


P

[jow104]

Surely everyone here knows that politians and local council officials love spending money (other peoples), after all they wouldn't have a job if not so.

Our local council keeps remodelling the tennis courts in our local paark, but I never see anyone playing. The pavillion is permantly locked up I assume because they can not afford an employee on the site, etc.etc.

Painting tees blue sounds even better.

[Iain]

Painting tees blue sounds even better.

What does golf have to do with art

[johnc]

[quote=bitingmidge]For me, the above quote summarises it all, from both sides of the fence.

In reading the previous posts, I am afraid that there is a little truth in all of them, however:

I have discounted all the posts written by accountants as they simply know nothing about art.

I have discounted all the posts by artists as they simply know nothing about business.

Midge,

You cruel bugger as an accountant I also have an understanding and a soft spot for the arts, although I would add the creativeness of artists seems to get in the road of profitability.

The world would be a dull place without art and the arts, and if subsidising it keeps it alive I'm all for it. We are all subsidised one way or another be it our education, access to the health system or safety nets that the government provides.

We have an imperfect system and at times funding goes to groups or individuals that probably shouldn't and could be better spent elsewhere. Of course we could do better but shouldn't the argument be how to subsidise more effectively rather than should we fund at all.

I really don't think the system is that bad just that a few individuals running it sometimes make really odd choices that are influenced by their prejudices or ignorance, but that is not sufficient to say that we shouldn't support the arts through government financial assistance.

John.

[echnidna]

Inresting how this thread is concentrating on the waste of society and some want to eliminate grants for the arts.

As well as bumping off the arts why not eliminate footy too?

[Sturdee]

It's still being talked about and it saved the taxpayer 44K ! Now how much better off are you all with that in your pockets?

It isn't that we are better off with it in our pockets but it could be better spent on say a struggling author or up and coming painter. It is the waste that I'm objecting to.

i am presently involved in a small apartment project, which has as a condition of it's approval, Public Art to be provided in the street to a value of $120,000. (It's OK Andy, we'll talk later!) That's $6,000 per unit. Yes Mr Sturdee, we'll let you live in this street but you'll have to spend $6,000 on an piece of art first!

Who puts the value on it? One of my little carvings has to be worth that, doesn't it?

For a reasonable fee I could set up a few companies that can provide the necessary valuation and exhibition certificates with supporting receipts of similar work that would satisfy your council that the little carving by a Mr. P. Bitingmidge, a poor and struggling artist , is worth the $ 120,000 that is required. After all accountants might not know about art but we do know how to create a value for it. An art form in itself.



Peter.
( who is now of to participate in another art form being the art of dance, which is not subsidised by the Arts Council. )

[Lignum]

It isn't that we are better off with it in our pockets but it could be better spent on say a struggling author or up and coming painter. It is the waste that I'm objecting to.

How do you know he wasnt going to keep 50k and give 30k to a Painter to paint the tree and 20k to an Author to write about it

[Clinton1]

Andy,
One of the reasons that business is supported financially is in the hope that it will create more taxation opportunities.... i.e. through business growth and employing more workers.

I reckon you could work out a way to achieve this through an arts based business, and bitingmidge has just identified a need... public space arts for the bloated property developer.

Of course perhaps not too many artists will sieze the opportunity as they won't have the contacts or awareness of the issue, being seriously engaged in navel gazing. See the idea floated above.

[echnidna]

For a reasonable fee I could set up a few companies that can provide the necessary valuation and exhibition certificates with supporting receipts of similar work that would satisfy your council that the little carving by a Mr. P. Bitingmidge, a poor and struggling artist , is worth the $ 120,000 that is required. After all accountants might not know about art but we do know how to create a value for it. An art form in itself.



Peter.
( who is now of to participate in another art form being the art of dance, which is not subsidised by the Arts Council. )

hmmm sounds like a good opportunity there for a few of us to get their snouts in the trough.

and we might even have an international artist in residence soon if we co-opt jow104 !!!!!

[jow104]

Yes please Bob. Airlines do not seem to appreciate granting a subsidy on my ticket applictations at the moment.