I would tend to agree with George. The problem is that people in the arts are falling prey to the pressures of modern consumerism. The quality of the art expression is also suffering due to pressures to mass produce. Even the culture itself is falling prey to commercialization.

Regretably, yes

Dear Abhijit, thank you for another bright question.

Unfortunately, yes. 

George is quite right. Unfortunately, everything has become financial business, in our modern societies...

Music id one of the finest examples of Arts and Culture. Famous musicians are usually wealthy, nowadays. The finest musicians and pictorial artists from the 19th century often were poor and died in misery. Yet, many have become eternal...

I wonder where we are going...

Do you think that art and culture has become a business in recent times?

Think art & culture has become lucrative business for some people in some locations since the olden times.  Today, with the proliferation of advanced technologies like ICT, imaging, photography, transportation etc. which have created more mind share / awareness among more general public - this business is getting even more lucrative.  However, we also need to be mindful that there are some unscrupulous businessmen that might cheat the public in various ways like forging the art, replicate some cultural artifacts which look authentic etc.

Artistic and cultural expressions today are inserted into a space governed by economic interests, undoubtedly. However, there are cultural and artistic events that may go beyond the existing commercial logic, to become effective contributions to culture and art of mankind. However, rates of sale of artistic and cultural products at the present time do not necessarily reflect the values that such products will in the course of time.

Dear Abhijit Mitra,

Art - is the realm of the spiritual and practical activity, which is aimed at the artistic comprehension and mastery of the world. It is intended to satisfy the universal human need, to recreate the surrounding reality in the developed forms of human sensibility.

Are allocated different meanings of the concept "art", which is closely related to each other. In the broadest sense, the category of "art" is identified with the skill. In other words, it is a skillful execution of professional activities, whether working doctor, actor, scientist or worker.

Specificity of art that allows you to distinguish it from all other forms of human activity, is that art develops and expresses reality in art-shape. It is the result of a particular artistic and creative activity and at the same time - the realization of the historical cultural experience of mankind. Artistic image serves not just as a physical resemblance to reality, and manifests itself as a creative approach to this reality, as a way to invent, to add real life.

Art - a social phenomenon. It participates in the social transformation of society, providing an aesthetic effect on the person. the creative process of art itself accumulates impressions, events and facts taken from real life. 

Multifaceted and practice of art. But its main purpose is the socialization of the individual and the approval of its intrinsic value. Art involves a person in terms of social life, affecting the most intimate aspects of human beings.

Regards, Shafagat

8 reasons to partner with the arts.

1. Recruit and Retain Talent

Employees want to live and work in a vibrant community.

2. Put Your Company in the Spotlight

The arts help you build market share, enhance your brand and reach new customers.

3. Advance Corporate Objectives & Strategies

The arts help you get your message across in engaging ways.

4. Foster Critical Thinking

Did you know that creativity is among the top applied skills sought by employers?

5. Engage Your Employees

The arts challenge employees to be their best.

 6. Embrace Diversity & Team Building

The arts create an environment that blends backgrounds, ethnicities and cultures.

7. Say Thanks

The arts are a great way to show you appreciate your employees.

8. Contribute to the Economy & Quality of Life

When you partner with local arts, you partner with the whole city.

http://www.partnershipmovement.org/the-movement/#

There is a good point in selling cultural and artistic productions. Artists and cultural agents need to pay their bills and be able to invest more time in their creative processes. There is nothing wrong with that. Money can be a problem in any area. Say, a doctor needs to be paid by his work, but we can not infer that just because a doctor is paid for being a doctor he will be heartless doctor and will not respect his ethical commitments. The same happens with researchers. If an artist is corrupted it has nothing to do with giving artists a good life standard. What a dream to be an artist and gain a living with what he produces. Be able to do only what you want to make in life and yet earn money for it.

Yes Abhijit. Gone are the days when festivals, paintings, music,etc. used to be done for the sole purpose of arts and culture. The world is now a global village and as such anything you can do is being monitored by billions of people worldwide. People have therefore tapped into this to make money. Otherwise, why else would a common photogragh of a potato be sold for a million euros?

Dear Vilemar. 

Of course an artist must and should be paid and sponsored for his good work.

The problem, as we face it, today, just as with the best international athletes and football players, is the business and money-making machinery that is built on their names, feeding others that surround them, and sometimes afford more money than the artist, while managing their work and transforming their work into a financial sometimes corrupt business. That is what I stand against. 

(Hobby and passion transformed to business !!!!!! - as Abhijit put so well - )

Dear all:

There is no doubt that art and culture must now become a business in order to reach a mass audience or at least a sizeable niche, or to allow the artists living from their art. 

There are however independent artistic expressions --music bands, theater groups, etc.-- that prefer to stay out of the logic of big business and fund themselves aiming to a smaller public, or just doing non profit art. .

Art and culture are a huge business you only have to look at the various programmes and interpretations of different issues to see that media and television have benefited fro. Both. Also within different countries art and culture are exploited and sold to tourists to make countries attractive to travel to come and experience the artistic and cultural life in Ireland visit out traditional music festivals look at riverdance the phenomenal affect on art and culture it had embracing the cultural and traditional dances of many different European countries. Look at pottery every where you see belleek pottery each nation selling ng the artistic designs of its craftsmen. It is huge business be it home grown crafts painting pottery glass drama music dance everyone wants a piece of the action a share in the game and glory an opportunity to become recognised for whatever crafts they do.

In truth, it always was a business. Whether you're talking about Michelangelo or Mozart, they were commissioned to do their magic, and paid for it.

It may be true that in certain egregious cases, these days, the artist is paid proportionally way more than centuries ago. But I'll bet it's not true in most cases.

And was it perhaps sometimes other? :-)

 There is not a chance to defend a corrupted way. I am also against big labs building swimming pools for doctors, but there is not a problem to earn money practicing medicine. We all should go against any kind of curruption in any area.

I believe that art and culture has become a business in recent times. For example, designers plan interior spaces of almost every type of building, including offices, airport terminals, theaters, shopping malls, restaurants, hotels, schools, hospitals, and private residences. Good design can boost office productivity, increase sales, attract a more affluent clientele, provide a more relaxing hospital stay, or increase a building’s market value.

For more information, you may refer to the following link:

http://artbistro.monster.com/careers/articles/8551-8-creative-jobs-that-pay-over-60k?page=6

Of course! Flow of culture is downhill from rich to poor whether it is religion or art and culture. So it is indeed a business and commodities.

Of course, yes!!!

these products become items for export and consider as product like others.

Yes, we buy our paper from publisher

I think culture and art are to be business

with the condition that the real producer of art and culture be the one who get wealth from that biz but not the outsider 

I do not agree that the artist to be the poorest among the the other sectors

 unfortunately that is what is happening especially  in most of the 3rd world countries 

Hmm... As far as I know they have always been a subject of making money... What's the message?

Dear all

100% its become a business in recent times.

Art & culture remains the part of one coin .Art thru presentation offer an message & inspiring the guideline for the interested members & if they carry out this line of activity just as other business culture if it can become a professional business , they should be rewarded for their action.

With this it is verly likely that it may not be in the spirit of the question i desire to take liberty as a part of my personal opinion for my early publication which i submit herewith under the captioned'' of Art Our inner urge with Divinity '' for your perusal & for our valued readers.

This presentation is my personal opinion which i have expressed in my publication.