What Happened..??

Where I live in considered an "art" town, although it is small... it is very centered around art. There are tons of artists who live in my town including sculptors, painters, drawers, mixed-media artists, photographers and many more. I heard about an art contest which was open to anyone within a 75 mile radius of my town. I was excited to enter. Afterall, It was my first competition. I could enter two pieces and knew exactly which two pieces to select.
When I walked into the public library I was shocked that so many artists were there. I felt like I was in heaven. I was looking at everyone's art and was shocked. It was so.... average. What happened? I was expecting prime rib and I got rump roast! The library soon became filled with cookie-cutter paintings of landscapes and scenery. Most of them looked identical.

What happened to traditional art? I'm not here to judge any certain style or catergory of it, but has the quality diminished?Are we just getting impatient and not willing to spend the hours that traditional art demands? Has money taken over our ability to create? I don't understand...

When I think of an artist, I think of somebody who pours their heart and soul into a piece. They don't do it for the money or anything else for that matter. They create for the sake of creating. Are we losing that?


I'll leave you with this. Somebody recently told me that the most inspired art strives in the most stifling of societies. Will your art be the one that shines through?