But is it art? The role of the artist in today's business environment

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review three articles on combining the arts and business worlds to examine what the most productive approach to bringing these areas together might be.

Design/methodology/approach

The article presents cases from a project in Sweden, an individual leader in London and a business professor in a theatre to show that the arts are a potentially great resource for business leaders.

Findings

In Sweden, a project called Artists in Residence (AIRIS) teams an artist – perhaps a musician, painter, actor or dancer – with a regular company for a period of ten months. While in residence, the artist works on a culture project, which involves members of the organization. Recent examples of collaborations include an artist who worked at a food supermarket, a photographer at a healthcare organization, a musician at a dental heath care firm, and a choreographer at a construction company. The specific project has three distinct goals. For the business, it should create an arena whereby industry and culture can interact, and should work to enhance the creative capabilities of the organization. For artists, the project exists to provide new employment opportunities. In theory, it is a mutually beneficial scheme, funded in part by the host company and in part by taxes. But what about in practice?

Practical implications

This paper offers several areas for exploration for business leaders, and suggests where further research might be helpful.

Originality/value

The article gives practical advice on mixing the arts with business.

Citation

(2008), "But is it art? The role of the artist in today's business environment", Strategic Direction, Vol. 24 No. 10, pp. 21-23. https://doi.org/10.1108/02580540810907083