Okay, this article made me very happy. I have always been a little mad about society's current view of art as an illegitimate profession. In earlier times, artists were regarded as highly skilled craftsmen, and it was not uncommon for talented, hard-working artists to be paid very well through commissions. Today, choosing a career path in the arts is greeted with looks of uncertainty and ones that seem to say "Are you serious? That's what you want to do with your life?".
This article discusses the life and work of one woman, Susan Crile, who was accused of underpaying taxes, since the I.R.S. didn't believe that her work was part of a separate profession than her teaching job, which is her primary source of income. They said that what she did as an artist was "an activity not engaged in for profit", implying that art was simply a hobby for her, and not a career that she was aspiring to succeed at. They also called her work "artificial" since they believed it was created solely to supplement her teaching career (since art teachers where she works are required to create their own work, but not to sell it).
However, despite all of these accusations from the I.R.S., the judge ruled that Ms. Crile had proven that her making artwork was indeed for the purpose of making a profit, and thus she should be named a professional artist under tax law.
Hopefully this will result in a societal change of how people perceive the work of artists, and that they will acknowledge its legitimacy.
This article discusses the life and work of one woman, Susan Crile, who was accused of underpaying taxes, since the I.R.S. didn't believe that her work was part of a separate profession than her teaching job, which is her primary source of income. They said that what she did as an artist was "an activity not engaged in for profit", implying that art was simply a hobby for her, and not a career that she was aspiring to succeed at. They also called her work "artificial" since they believed it was created solely to supplement her teaching career (since art teachers where she works are required to create their own work, but not to sell it).
However, despite all of these accusations from the I.R.S., the judge ruled that Ms. Crile had proven that her making artwork was indeed for the purpose of making a profit, and thus she should be named a professional artist under tax law.
Hopefully this will result in a societal change of how people perceive the work of artists, and that they will acknowledge its legitimacy.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/07/arts/design/tax-court-ruling-is-seen-as-a-victory-for-artists.html?ref=arts