Art Matters More: Creating Culture When It Counts

In an era where rhetoric about "degenerate art" has resurfaced from the shadows of history into presidential discourse, the art world finds itself once again at a cultural crossroads. We know, we know—we're all tired of doom-scrolling through yet another "art in crisis" think piece, but like that friend who keeps reminding you to floss, some topics deserve our persistent attention regardless of how much we sigh at their mention. When powerful figures invoke language reminiscent of darker times—when creativity was censored and expression stifled—it's easy to slip into a collective cultural despair. Yet perhaps it is precisely in these moments of uncertainty that art reveals its true power.

Emily Kraus "Nest Time" via The Sunday Painter

Beyond the velvet rope

The truth is, art has always thrived under pressure. While the glittering soirées of Art Basel and Venice Biennale capture headlines, the beating heart of cultural creation has often pulsed strongest in moments of societal tension. The problem isn't that art exists in rarefied spaces—it's that we've forgotten it belongs everywhere else too.

For brands and patrons wondering if this is the moment to retreat from cultural engagement, history offers a resounding answer: absolutely not. Companies that maintain their commitment to artistic expression during challenging times don't merely preserve cultural capital—they help write the narrative of an era.

Consider how Absolut Vodka's artist collaborations in the 1980s transformed not just advertising but created a lasting cultural legacy. Or how Uniqlo's partnerships with museums democratized access to artistic expression through wearable, affordable pieces. These weren't just marketing exercises; they were cultural contributions that outlasted quarterly projections.

The everyday Renaissance

What if we reimagined art not as something we visit on occasional Sundays, but as an essential daily nutrient? Imagine corporate lobbies transformed from sterile waiting areas into rotating exhibition spaces for local artists. Picture public transit systems where commuters encounter poetry instead of advertisements. Envision workplaces where creativity isn't cordoned off to "innovation departments" but flows through every conversation.

The art world itself must evolve beyond its traditional structures. Perhaps galleries could operate more like libraries—spaces where borrowing art for your home or office becomes as common as checking out books. Maybe museums could extend beyond their physical walls, bringing collections into neighborhoods that rarely cross their thresholds.

The call to create

This moment calls for more than passive appreciation—it demands active participation. For every voice that questions art's value, a thousand creative responses must bloom. Corporations have unique resources, reach, and responsibility in this cultural ecosystem.

Maison d'Art offers precisely the collaborative framework needed for this cultural moment. Through partnerships that elevate both artistic expression and brand purpose, they create connections that transcend traditional sponsorship. Their approach recognizes that art isn't a luxury add-on but the essential language through which society processes its most complex emotions and ideas.

The question isn't whether art will survive challenging rhetoric—it always has and always will. The real question is: will you be part of writing this chapter of cultural history? As the canvas awaits, the brushes are in our collective hands.

Yours truly,

Margot

MD'A sidenote: Emily Kraus (b. 1995), who received her Painting MA from the Royal College of Art in London (2022), creates works that propose the coexistence of linear and cyclical temporalities, with paintings structured by steady vertical lines that contrast with wild sprawls of color across the canvas. Informed by meditative, yogic, and somatic practices, her creative process oscillates between spontaneous mark-making and periods of reflection, resulting in works that vibrate with an underlying rhythm and contain multiple echoes of their own creation. In 2023, Kraus won the Hopper Prize while presenting solo exhibitions at venues including Frieze London and Galleri Opdahl, and she continues to live and work in London.