See this photo of our Maryland Theatre. How old must you be to ride this ride? Is the rising average age of an audience-member something to worry about? Or is it just how things are? For years now ArtsJournal.com has been touching on the matter occasionally. RAND has produced some dandy reports on this and other arts topics. This weekend, the topic surfaced in the pages of our own Hagerstown Sunday Herald-Mail. I tend to think that for arts presenters in general, and museums and symphonies in particular, it’s generally true that they’ll keep audiences up until they’re in their early 20s, then they won’t see them again until they’re about 47 or 48. But they will come back. However, this only will be true if the museum and symphony continue to focus on achieving the highest possible artistic merit in their products. Each symphony season, each exhibition, must aim high. Fancy marketing won’t save them over time. Obviously I agree that employing new media (hence this blog, and our occasional podcast) is affordable and effective, but ultimately it’s the art that counts. What do you think?
3 comments:
As Hagerstown continues to strive to reach a critical mass in Arts and Entertainment, the economic impact of added private development will benefit the community...restaurants and stores will flourish in a vibrant arts community. It is sometimes unfortunate that many local people simply don't believe in the benefit of this type of progress.
Once upon a time, appreciating painting and sculpture were widely accepted as the paramount of educated people. Nowadays, that's not the case. I think the average Joe and Jane in American culture don't think much about fine arts and fine music. Similar attitudes are affecting other idealistic, upwardly-lifting efforts, such as traditional journalism and religion. I think it's a paradigm change, not a temporary thing.
Some new paint, some fine artwork or a mural maybe? up the lighting a bit, then get the best show you can that would attract the most people, re opening, redidicate, etc... Make it a real cool "night out with my wife" place.
It will sell. Hagerstown is an up an coming place I hear. Im a new commer myself. Biggest city Maryland right? or fastest growing right? (Best real estate value that's for sure.) The atmosphere of this place is like a time warp, a second chance, a back to what life's all about thing, a bit of country, a healthy dose of redneck mixed in...
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