Los artistas son los motores infracompensados de nuestra economía

La charla analiza la financiación de las artes en Estados Unidos a nivel federal, estatal y local, que según se describe está estancada o en descenso. Señala que las empresas e instituciones adineradas tienen una influencia desproporcionada sobre qué proyectos reciben apoyo. La ponente, Amy L. Bernstein, sostiene que los artistas, pese a su papel en las economías locales, reciben una remuneración insuficiente. Se pregunta qué ocurriría si se les pagara como a otros profesionales y cómo ello podría fortalecer las comunidades.

• Tendencias de financiación de las artes a nivel federal, estatal y local
• Influencia de empresas e instituciones en las decisiones de financiación
• Formas de dar a los artistas más poder económico sobre su trabajo

In the United States, the arts—and individual artists—are on the losing end of late-stage capitalism. Funding for arts at the federal, state, and local levels are stagnant or declining. Wealthy companies and institutions wield outsized influence—in other words, power—over who and what gets funded. This is choking off artists, who are the unsung heroes of local economies. Amy’s talk explores how to put more economic power in the hands of artists themselves. What would happen if we compensated artists like other tradespeople and professionals? How might that shift influence and strengthen our communities and the cultural landscape in general? Amy L. Bernstein is an award-winning author, former journalist, and book coach who crafts stories that blend intellect with emotion. Her seven books include the speculative novel TENT CITY and WRANGLING THE DOUBT MONSTER, a widely read guide for creative inspiration. A past recipient of grants from the Rubys Artist Grant program and Maryland Humanities, Amy was named a Pushcart-nominated poet in 2025. She hosts a weekly Substack newsletter and regularly speaks at national writers' conferences. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx