To: Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Mayor of Chicago, The Illinois State House, The Illinois State Senate, and Governor J.B. Pritzker
No Sales Tax on Original Works of Art
Our culture and the artists that are it's catalysts are more like a garden than an oil well. Too often we look to bring in culture from out side to enrich our culture, while our local arts entrepreneurs struggle to maintain impoverished incomes and attention. I call upon you to consider a turn around in your approach to cultural development. We need a government that supports artists and art projects and art education not one that exploits the artists and asks them to serve for less at the same costs as institutions and corporations.
As an opening gesture I suggest the model already working in New Orleans, Louisiana. In that city, where the sales tax is high and tourism is a big part of city revenues, there is no sales tax on the sale of original works of art.
This simple tax adjustment encourages the purchaser of art to support work and increases sales of the stuff that culture is made of directly benefiting artists. Such an act would support culture directly with no bureaucratic cost. It would most likely increase reporting of an area of the economy we could all brag about. isn't that better than asking artists to volunteer what they do, so that they can continue to work? Please give art a better chance by sophisticating our way of viewing its place in our society..
As an opening gesture I suggest the model already working in New Orleans, Louisiana. In that city, where the sales tax is high and tourism is a big part of city revenues, there is no sales tax on the sale of original works of art.
This simple tax adjustment encourages the purchaser of art to support work and increases sales of the stuff that culture is made of directly benefiting artists. Such an act would support culture directly with no bureaucratic cost. It would most likely increase reporting of an area of the economy we could all brag about. isn't that better than asking artists to volunteer what they do, so that they can continue to work? Please give art a better chance by sophisticating our way of viewing its place in our society..
Why is this important?
I returned from selling art in New Orleans where, since the failure of the Levees, New Orleans has had this method of nurturing art and artists in their work and supporting collectors of art to participate in culture by connecting with and supporting local artists. It is good for tourism, world opinion of the city and it cultivates culture directly with very little bureaucratic handling.