The Viola Voice

Where are all the artists?

Apparently, not in Illinois. According to a 2003-2005 U.S. Census Bureau, Illinois is home to 79,932 artists. We come in fifth place to states California, New York, Texas and Florida. Our number reflects only 4% of 1.99 million U.S. artists.

While Chicago is home to one of the largest “cluster” of artists- third after New York City and Los Angeles- artists fall relatively short in Illinois compared to the overall labor force: 6,390,213.

This makes me a little outraged. I have lived in Chicago all my life, and feel like this place is teeming with artists. Granted, I have my biases- growing up in artistically diverse Oak Park, in a theatre family, graduating from college with two “arts” degrees and working what I consider two “arts” jobs- I’ll admit I come in contact with a great deal of the 4% of artists cited. However, I still feel as if the number falls short.

This makes me wonder: How does the government define the term ”artist”?

I decide to make a quick check on the U.S. Census Bureau website. Searches such as ”definition artist”, “occupation artist”, “arts”, “artists in Illinois” and just plain “artist” come up empty. I google “what is an artist” and come up with such prolific answers as “Obviously, an artist is someone who creates art, just as a baker is someone who bakes bread, and a plumber is someone who installs and repairs plumbing.”

I don’t feel the answer is as easy as that.

I think of my orthodontist growing up in Oak Park. Dr. Alyward spent five days a week working at a job that, no doubt, brought home a majority of his income. Yet, the man was mean when it came to playing the guitar. While regluing a bracket or changing the rubber bands on my braces, he would talking about the bands he played with, and the songs he would sing. I will always remember him serenading me with “Seasons of Love” during some long, tedious dental procedure that required me not to talk. And have you seen my teeth? I haven’t worn braces for years, and they are still perfectly straight. The man is an artist, in every sense of the word.

I guess I just want to know what the government thinks of me, because I consider myself an artist. At one part time job, I sell theatre tickets. At TVP, I teach Shakespeare to girls ages 8-18. Simply put, I am in education and work in retail. But it isn’t that simple. The government doesn’t take in to account the time I spend reading the various theatre reviews in Chicago newspapers. Nor do they register the amount of Chicago theatre I’ve spent money on so I have my own first hand account. Or my hours reading and taking notes on A Midsummer Night’s Dream, trying to turn the themes and concepts from the play into activities that would interest the average eight to eighteen-year old. Or the hundreds of e-mails I send to Ellie, Reina, Andy, Molly and Alex to prep for a one day workshop or our upcoming benefit.

I wonder how many people in Illinois consider themselves artists in comparison to that 79,000. Less or more? What do you think?