Submitted by exgalactic t3_z78ttw in nyc
damagecontrolparty t1_iy5izc8 wrote
I always assumed that these jobs were largely held by people who had a trust fund or some other form of outside financial support, because I can't imagine how anyone else would be able to survive off what they are paying.
brook1yn t1_iy5u7g2 wrote
They barely do. If only there were as much trust fund babies out there as we imagine there to be. Thankfully my wife was able to switch to tech from non profit arts. Non profit in general means underpaid. It sucks.
jaimeyeah t1_iy6lm1u wrote
Can agree, same with working as staff at a not for profit university. Looking for a good way to leverage into the private sector.
shogi_x t1_iy84982 wrote
>Non profit in general means underpaid.
Can confirm. Though some places make up for it with good benefits.
brook1yn t1_iy84tue wrote
There's no shame in a low wage job. Its just frustrating when a) the heads of the organization tend to make really good money (sometimes because they tend to be the draw for fundraising) b) the job itself blows because they're short staffed and thus everyone has to do 3 positions in one and c) the companies just aren't run well so there's a general toxicity in the air.
Somenakedguy t1_iy8azev wrote
I worked in IT for a nonprofit for almost 5 years. I loved my job, loved our mission, loved my coworkers and our staff, and was very passionate about supporting the work we did
Eventually though I just couldn’t resist the allure of money. The salary wasn’t even remotely competitive compared to private companies and I eventually left for an easy 50% raise with less responsibility. And I constantly felt guilty about my salary while working there as I knew I was making double of what most of our program staff made even while feeling underpaid myself
rootbeer_racinette t1_iya7fbo wrote
Yeah this is my experience. A lot of finance and tech bros have a wife with a job in art, non-profit, or politics that's more like a hobby when you consider how little she makes in relation to the aforementioned bro.
brook1yn t1_iya83o8 wrote
I'm not sure what would change the system but nice young ladies maybe shouldn't settle for shit pay. Easier said than done.
occasional_cynic t1_iy62p51 wrote
Have a relative who holds one of these jobs. No trust fund, but she lives with a bunch of roommates in Brooklyn and her parents still pay a good portion of her bills.
Stefan_Harper t1_iy7s4i9 wrote
I made $12 an hour in Toronto framing pictures for fancy galleries. I’d get shipping manifests for 80-100$ million, no joke, and then go home and eat rice and green onions.
[deleted] t1_iy6rnxl wrote
[deleted]
yoshimipinkrobot t1_iy7imdh wrote
There have been studies on this. Despite the anecdotes, artists come from wealthier backgrounds than even tech folks
[deleted] t1_iy7nhak wrote
[deleted]
SmellyAlpaca t1_iy85515 wrote
I wanted to be an artist, and came from a poor family that was also abusive.
Because of financial reasons (and a desperation to move out of abusive home) I pivoted into doing design in tech because that’s where the money was and I could still do something related to art.
I think what makes people feel like artists must have rich parents is specifically that same kind of hardcore self sacrificing mentality that you mention — the idea that it is noble to be in poverty in service of something “greater”.
I think generally — if you grew up poor you know there is no romance in it, it’s just hard. To think that there is romance is what makes them sound naive and inexperienced. The people I know in my circles that have taken risks for art have had some kind of support system they can fall back on if they fail. The people who don’t sacrificed their dreams for a more stable career.
Anyway, good on you for bringing it up. Forget those people that shit on you for literally needing money to survive. Artists deserve to be paid and there is no shame in talking about that.
PS: I just saw your work on your profile. Amazing stuff.
[deleted] t1_iy8px10 wrote
[deleted]
bittoxic00 t1_iy66w1r wrote
I thought these jobs were held by older ladies with a devotion to the arts and a rich husband
Albedo100 t1_iy8go4y wrote
Those are the board members usually
Darrackodrama t1_iy6jniu wrote
My partner has a living wage job in the art world (so proud of her) and she pointed this out last week about how fucked the art world is
whistleclick t1_iy7uvsz wrote
The jobs aren’t mostly held by the very rich or sorta rich, but it’s certainly designed to churn and burn the people who aren’t
iStealyournewspapers t1_iy8g98t wrote
Anyone I’ve ever gotten to know at Gagosian came from money, and I can think of at least 5 people. Two on the dealer end and 3 on the shop girl end.
You can also just sorta tell who comes from money. You see it in their face and how they present themselves/speak. Most of Gagosian is people that have/had a lot of help.
Truktek3 t1_iy7l94x wrote
That's pretty much all the arts. If you're not independently wealthy you're doomed.
Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments