You most likely will never hear someone being asked, after declaring they want to go into mathematics, what their back up plan is when it does not work out. You also will more than likely not hear a prospective college student who is researching about going into the medical field, if they are sure they really want to take that route. However, whether it be from a family member or a stranger, the idea of pursuing a career in the arts will always be questioned.
Wells Fargo most recently took a jab at the prospect of a career in the arts with an ad campaign aimed at promoting a teen financial education day. The advertisements consisted of phrases with the likes of, “A ballerina yesterday. An engineer today,” and “An actor yesterday. A botanist today.” Celebrities with careers in the arts came to their profession’s defense, Cynthia Erivo who headlines in the revival of the Broadway musical “The Color Purple” stating on Twitter that it is a shame that Wells Fargo does not think being a ballerina requires work.
While the company has since apologized for the various advertisements, the damage was still done, the arts are still seen as inferior and being promoted as so as well.
Since I was a child I have adored the arts, actively as I took part in musical theatre and as an audience member. I regularly go to musicals and plays, see ballets, go to art shows, and while I am a public relations major, for years I dreamt of being on stage eight nights a week as well. I don’t have to be majoring in the arts to know how offensive ads like these can be.
We need to treat those going into the arts with the respect and fondness that we give to those enter STEM careers because both paths are admirable ones. Music, art, theatre, dance, film and so much more are things that make the world so beautiful, and how can we have these entities without the world encouraging those who find passion in it to pursue them?
While the career paths stated at the beginning of this piece and those in the ads are ones I definitely respect, botany, after all, ended up saving Matt Damon’s life in “The Martian.” At what point do we acknowledge that those in the arts work as hard and create work just as beautifully as those in careers in the medical field or in law? At what point do we recognize that hours spent in studios and in rehearsals account to just as much back breaking work as that in an office?
