Collective necessary to advocate for work of artists

Labor Day. These two words today are synonymous with the lake, the end of summer and gearing up for the busy fall schedule. But what is the origin of Labor Day and how does it relate to the arts?

Originally conceived in New York City as a massive parade for the unions as well as an all-day celebration for workers and their families in September 1882, a few states adopted it as a legal holiday in 1887. In 1894, Congress made it a national holiday.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about the meaning of Labor Day for the arts community.

In his Salon article “Can Unions Save the Creative Class?” reporter Scott Timburg notes, “Of course, unions don’t just help the workers at a few companies; they can have a transformational effect on society as a whole. Supporters credit them with the 40-hour work week, the weekend, fair wages, safe working conditions, overtime pay — much of the edifice that built the American middle class in the mid-20th-century. Unions often set wage standards across a field, even for people who don’t belong to them.”

But his argument has a darker subtext, and that’s at the crux of what I have been thinking about regarding Labor Day: Artists across the great majority of fields typically have no entity to stand up for them, to argue for fair wages, to ensure that they are working in safe conditions and more. Negotiating all that falls to the individual artists themselves, and in a world where many people believe that exposure is more valuable than cash, that leaves artists in a tight spot.

The Renaissance period introduced the concept of the artist as an individual genius, often suffering for her or his art — a notion that has been reinforced through the ages.

I am not a fan of suffering. I don’t ascribe to the notion that if artists can make a living from their art, they have sold out. No one says to a plumber, “You know, I’m not going to pay you for fixing my drain. Instead, I will tell everyone about your fabulous work. The next time someone needs a plumber, she or he will pay you because of the great exposure you are getting from me.”

Artists are laborers, plain and simple. I don’t know an artist of any kind who doesn’t work long hours, often after leaving one of her or his many other jobs, to create work that may never sell, may never be performed for an audience or may never be valued by others.

Artists, singers, dancers, designers, musicians, actors and writers labor day in and day out to perfect their craft, to be true to their creative spirit and to carve a professional life for themselves that betters their community.

But who’s speaking out for this menagerie of creatives? Who is representing them in the larger context of fair wages, good working conditions and economy builders?

While The Arts Partnership is not — and doesn’t intend to be — a formal union, our work focuses on advocating for the work of artists. We speak for the arts collective. We ensure that they are recognized as an integral piece of the metro’s economic puzzle and provide resources for artists to grow their own businesses.

I ascribe to the notion that when one artist makes a living wage, it sets the standard for others to do so as well. And I encourage you to embrace that notion as well.

The next time you wonder whether it’s “worth it” to buy tickets to a performance or to purchase that handmade teapot — well, stop wondering. It is worth it. Not just to the artists who labored to provide the artwork or experience you are purchasing, but to the economic fabric of our community.

I don’t know if unions can save the creative class, but I do know that without a supported, strong collective, the arts will never achieve all that they are capable of achieving and our entire community will be poorer for it.

This article is part of a content partnership with The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead and originally appeared in the Monday, September 8, 2015, issue of the paper.