Financing the Arts: The Consequences of Interaction among Artists,Financial Support,and Creativity Motivation

The authors analyze how different financial modes matter to the creativity of artists—whether they facilitate or interfere with the creativity that leads to artistic achievements. They first discuss the importance of the creative process and the various factors involved—personality characteristics, environmental factors, and motivation patterns. They next distinguish and analyze the nature and rationales of various modes of financing the arts, dividing these modes into government, the market, and the third sphere. Finally, the authors analyze the interrelations among the creative process and financing when applying a social support system. The investigation thereof relies predominantly on earlier work in the field of cultural economics. The results of a survey conducted among Dutch visual artists form the empirical basis of this article.