Prior to the past decade, my interest in the fine arts was mostly limited to excessively complimenting my kids on their mandatory elementary school art projects. If you go back far enough, you might also include watching MTV -- you know, back when it was still a music video channel and not whatever it's trying to be today.
These days, however, I've become at least a little bit more interested. I've seen dozens of live stage performances, mostly Broadway musicals, and I'd say at least half of them were quite entertaining. I'm more drawn to the contemporary, adapted musicals than to the old-school classics, which are almost entirely singing and dancing. I even watched some of the Tony Awards on TV this year -- yikes.
As for the Des Moines Arts Festival, it's a way to be open-minded about people who do creative things, be it painting, photography, sculpture, or music. Every year, I run across something that I think would be a cool conversation piece, or something with vibrant colors that must stimulate the right side of my brain. Also every year, I wonder about how these poor artists are able to charge hundreds or even thousands of dollars for something will zero utility value, which is why I'm only a viewer and not a customer.
No one would say that I've become an aficionado of the fine arts. Far from it. I can't think of anything I'd rather do less with my leisure time than go to a ballet, or listen to a symphony orchestra. Plus, I do think too much public money is channeled to the arts, when it could be better served to help human suffering. (Those able to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars a year on show tickets or artwork can surely fund the arts privately.)
That said, I can also say I’ve matured enough to appreciate artistic talent and output.
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