From celluloid to cyberspace : the media arts and the changing arts world

The arts in America are entering a new era that will pose many challenges for the arts community. However, our current knowledge of the operation of the arts world and its underlying dynamics is limited. These limits are particularly pronounced with regard to the newest and most dynamic component of the arts world: the media arts. Defined as art that is produced using or combining film, video, and computers, the media arts encompass a diverse array of artistic work that includes narrative, documentary, and experimental films; videos and digital products; and installation art using media. This report examines the organizational features of the media arts, placing them in the context of the broader arts environment and identifying the major challenges they face. Rather than discussing aesthetics or individual artists or works, the authors take a structural point of view, discussing audiences, media artists as a group, arts organizations, and funding for the media arts. They conclude that the media arts need both greater public visibility and a clearer sense of their own identity. They should become more attuned and responsive to the policy context in which they operate and should address the lack of systematic, quantitative information about the field. Finally, the media arts need to become actively involved in building greater public involvement in their work PREFACE 4 CONTENTS 6 SUMMARY 8 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 16 Chapter One INTRODUCTION 18 ANALYTICAL APPROACH 21 HIGHLIGHTS OF FINDINGS 24 ORGANIZATION OF THE REPORT 27 Chapter Two THE ARTS ENVIRONMENT IN AMERICA 28 THE CHANGING SHAPE OF THE ARTS ENVIRONMENT 28 Participation Patterns Are Changing 29 A Portrait of the Artists 30 A More Challenging Funding Environment 31 New Organizational Complexity 33 THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY 36 Chapter Three THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MEDIA ARTS 40 HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE MEDIA ARTS 41 Early 20th Century: Film 41 Early 1960s: Video 42 1960s and 1970s: The Launch of the Media Arts Movement 43 1980s and 1990s: Digital Technology and the New Media Arts 44 RECENT TRENDS 45 INFORMATION ON THE MEDIA ARTS 48 Chapter Four COMPARING THE MEDIA ARTS 50 AUDIENCES 50 Technology Is Changing Arts Participation 51 Audiences Differ for Different Types of Media Art 53 ARTISTS 56 ORGANIZATIONS 60 FUNDING 65 Chapter Five CONCLUSIONS 70 THE MEDIA ARTS TODAY 70 CHALLENGES FACING THE MEDIA ARTS 72 Distribution 73 Funding 74 Public Benefits 74 Preservation and Technical Obsolescence 76 Increased Visibility 76 RECOMMENDATIONS 77 Appendix A INFORMATION ON THE MEDIA ARTS 80 Appendix B INTERVIEWS 86 BIBLIOGRAPHY 90 Recent studies have called attention to emerging shifts in America's arts environment and the challenges they are likely to pose for the arts world (McCarthy et al., 2001; Cherbo and Wyszomirski, 2000; Balfe and Peters, 2000; American Assembly, 1997). Kevin F. Mccarthy, Elizabeth Heneghan Ondaatje. Supported By The Rockefeller Foundation. Mr-1552. Includes Bibliographical References.