The Cayman National Cultural Foundation (CNCF) and the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands have launched a survey of the visual arts sector.
Their aim is to better understand the needs of professional, mid-career and emerging artists and to map how their work is priced, valued and supported.
The Valuing Visual Art survey, born out of conversations with local creatives, will look at the resources that artists need to thrive professionally and examine how Cayman’s art market actually functions.
Megan Stewart-Green of CNCF’s education, research and grants team, hopes the survey results will not only inform how to support established artists, examining needs like access to healthcare, studio space and workshops, but also provide guidance on how to encourage and inspire emerging artists.
“The arts in general can be devalued,” she said. “When we were speaking with art educators, especially during Cayman Art Week, we were finding that… they were all having discussions about how [to] show to young people that the arts is a viable career choice.”
What may appear like an unfeasible career pathway, she added, is actually full of possibilities. But making these professional routes more accessible will require establishing a baseline where little formal data currently exists.
“There is opportunity in these spaces in visual arts, just maybe not in the traditional way that [young people] had anticipated,” she said.
“You can take it over into marketing, architecture, graphic design. They should be shown that it’s an option for them.”
Stewart-Green said the findings are meant to translate directly into programming, giving the Cultural Foundation and the National Gallery an evidence base for the training, support and opportunities they offer.
The Valuing Visual Art survey is open now at surveymonkey.com/r/CC2M3CX and is directed at artists at every career stage.
There is no fixed deadline, though the CNCF says it is aiming to close the survey before the end of August.
