For all you well-rounded art fans out there, this upcoming panel discussion at the Whitney Museum of American Art looks fascinating:

Why Does Art Matter Now?
Thursday, June 18, 7 pm

In our current economic climate, the arts appear to be expendable, yet, paradoxically, creative thinking is more necessary than ever; this interdisciplinary program seeks to address how and why art matters now.  Artist Vik Muniz, physicist Lisa Randall, pollster Nate Silver of fivethirtyeight.com, and choreographer Elizabeth Streb discuss the ways in which they use creativity in their fields, how they push themselves to innovate, and the value of thinking outside the box at this moment.  Moderated by historian and filmmaker Peter Galison. $8 for general admission.

I’m a bit of a follower of politics, too, so I’m particularly excited by the participation of polling celebrity Nate Silver.  And of course Vik Muniz‘s work (his work “Key” is pictured above) is incredible.  I leave for Vegas the next morning– but I’m hoping to be there!

The art market, like the economy as a whole, is in a turbulent state.  With investments dwindling and unemployment rising, a certain segment of art collectors is finding it difficult to justify spending on this “luxury” good.  It’s intriguing to consider how this economic uncertainty will affect supply and demand in the art market in both the short- and long-term.

For those of you in or near NYC, panelists with a variety of backgrounds (but no economists) will be sharing their views at a public event at the Fashion Institute of Technology tomorrow (April 22) from 7:00-8:30 pm.  Check out the details here.

Thanks to Modern Art Obsession for putting this on my radar!