Demise of the Performing Arts with Professor Paul Burgess
*on zoom*
A string quartet required four players hundreds of years ago, and it still requires four players. The basic problem for high-quality performing arts is that technological advances in the ‘productive’ sector of the economy (e.g., auto manufacturing) have limited or even no relevance in increasing ‘productivity’ in the performing arts. Consequently, because the real costs of producing performing arts have increased substantially (as earnings opportunities in the productive sector mean performing artists earn more), high-quality performing arts are difficult to maintain without pricing out most persons or requiring substantial donations or government support. For a few of the highest-quality endeavors, however, technology can help.Burgess is Professor Emeritus-Economics at Arizona State University. Before transitioning to emeritus status, he was an ASU professor of economics for 38 years. During that time, he also served as Chair of the Department of Economics, Chair of ASU’s Chair Group, and Chair of ASU’s Strategic Planning and Budgeting Committee. He also received the Distinguished Career Research Achievement Award from the National Foundation for Unemployment Compensation and Workers’ Compensation. His research interests in recent years include the growing inequality in the United States as well as the influence of economic incentives on organized religions.
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