Artists at Work
Why is it so hard for artists to have stable careers? Written with clarity and grounded in data, Artists at Work offers an eye-opening look at what it truly means to build a career as an artist today. Joanna Woronkowicz examines how artists navigate unique challenges in America's creative economy, from unpredictable job markets to evolving copyright laws and public funding constraints.
Woronkowicz exposes current public policy for artists as patchwork and susceptible to changes in the political climate. Such fragile infrastructure limits artists' ability to build sustainable careers. Remaking this system requires a deeper understanding of creative labor. By shining a light on today's artists-who they are, how they train, and what they do-Woronkowicz emphasizes both that artists are not unlike other workers, and also that policies have not been designed with their unique employment behaviors in mind. This book is a timely and critical guide for anyone invested in supporting the future of the arts, and artists, in America.
—Sam Gill, Doris Duke Foundation
"Joanna Woronkowicz's Artists at Work argues that artists ought to be thought of not as 'starving' or 'privileged', to use her words, but rather as important workers in our economy . She offers clear-eyed approaches to design policy that will most benefit artists, and in turn, our society and economy."
—Elizabeth Currid-Halkett, Author of The Warhol Economy and The Sum of Small Things
"Joanna Woronkowicz conveys a deep understanding of the challenges, choices, and complex professional demands that frame artistic careers. Concise and direct, Artists at Work is an important handbook for policymakers; an eye-opening look at American artists that will intrigue every citizen interested in the vitality of our nation's creative life."
—Bill Ivey, Former Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts
