It’s always been hard to make it as an artist in America – and it’s becoming only harder

By: Joanna Woronkowicz, Indiana University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: October 31, 2025

Words: 1,452

Last Updated: 3 weeks, 4 days ago

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By Joanna Woronkowicz, Indiana University

“Being an artist is not viewed as a real job.”

It’s a sentiment I’ve heard time and again, one that echoes across studios, rehearsal halls and kitchen tables – a quiet frustration that the labor of making art rarely earns the legitimacy or security afforded to other kinds of work.

I study how artists work and earn a living in the United States. In a country that valorizes …

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