Is art dead? I was very saddened by my choice to further my education in the fine arts. I was told that I shouldn't follow my passion because it would leave me with very few career options. I was told that even if I was lucky enough to get a job, the pay would be terrible. I've been told I should pursue a career I'm not interested in just for salary reasons. Well, I hope to prove these naysayers wrong, I may not be pursuing a career renowned for being "stable", but I am pursuing my passion. Let me ask a question to those who doubt my career choice. Have you ever been somewhere untouched by an art form of any kind? I didn't think so. “Art is as universal to our species as food gathering, procreation, community and war” (Cherbo). Not only is it universal, but I would even go so far as to say it is essential to our species. “It has contributed to the manifest needs of human social life since the beginning of time and continues to do so today: to healing, to play, to entertainment, to wonder, to celebration, to safety, to catharsis, to transcendence, to belonging and social positioning” (Cherbo). Art is part of our very being, it penetrates us and evokes feelings. It's everywhere and it's something humans crave. People spend thousands of dollars to have something beautiful in their homes, so how can they tell me that trying to further my art career is pointless when they probably have hundreds of pieces of art decorating their home? I realize there is some truth to the concern expressed to me about my future career. “…Artists from different industries experience higher unemployment rates than the overall US unemployment rate…middle of paper…the fact that art has helped me immensely in my life. It healed me, it uplifted me, it gave me an outlet to express myself, and it allowed me to share what I learned with everyone else. Works Cited Cherbo, J.. “On Valuing The Arts.” Journal of Arts Management, Law and Society 37.2 (2007): 170-172. Legal form, ProQuest. Network. 9 April 2011.Equilibrio. Kurt Wimmer. Perf. Christian Bale, Sean Bean and Emily Watson. Dimension Films and Blue Tulip Productions, 2002. DVD."Higher rate of job losses for artists, says NEA study." Art in America 97.5 (2009): 176. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. Network. April 10, 2011.Schori, Thomas R., Ph.D., and Michael L. Garee. "The illusion of job security...." The opening frame of Millennium Marketing Research. Millennial Marketing Research, nd Web. May 1 2011.