Government (Officially) Declares Video Games an Art Form

By Paul Nyhart

It’s been a good past couple of months for the art of video games.And, yes, I do mean Art. First, it was recognition by the Smithsonian Museum, which will exhibit the 40 year evolution of video games–from the Atari to today’s next generation consoles. Part of that process included gamers choosing for themselves which titles they’d want to have showcased (you can view the winners here)

Playing video games involves many personal choices, so, in keeping with the spirit of the exhibition’s content, we want to involve the public in helping us select games for the exhibition,” said Elizabeth Broun, The Margaret and Terry Stent Director of the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

But it was the announcement just days ago, which declared video games an art form–giving gamers a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. Technically, the current grant was just expanded to include “interactive media,” when previously it was limited to Arts on Radio and Television:

The expanded category now includes…All available media platforms such as the Internet, interactive and mobile technologies, digital games, arts content delivered via satellite, as well as on radio and television….Media projects that can be considered works of art.

So what does all this mean? For starters, video games are now an eligible form of art, allowing artists to receive grants to create their work. The Government recognizes that not all art should be done for commercial benefit, thus, it recognizes those who have unique artistic talents, but don’t necessarily posses ”commercial interests,” should be given the dough they need to make their work come to life:

It allows artists who are creating outside of the commercial art world to work and live, through grants of up to $200k; artists who otherwise would have to either enter the profit-centered world of commercial art, or stop creating.

In other words, you can have your cake and eat it too…do what you love doing, be creative with it, without having to worry about starving. It’s quite the luxury, considering that being able to monetize your own artistic talents is a skill in and of itself. Perhaps the most rewarding element in all of this is the fact that gamers, i.e. those who develop unique interactive content, are now looked at in the same light as those holding paint brushes, playing the sax, or making a movie. It’s quite the achievement, to say the least, and indicates the “Arts” acceptance towards the changing technological landscape.

All the information you need to take advantage of the grants is located on the National Endowment for the Arts website, but be rest assured, know that the deadline is still a couple of months away for next years grants.

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