Corporate sponsors understand the importance of being recognized as cultural providers. In addition to the tax breaks, this is why corporations support public art. There is hypocrisy, however, in the continuing tradition of awarding major commissions to esoteric artists. Under the guise of providing the public with culturally enriching experiences, corporate sponsors take advantage of the widening gap between contemporary art and public comprehension by displaying work that is intentionally beyond the understanding of the audience. In a divisive strategy, the exhibition of esoteric art in the public venue works to justify elitism in our capitalist society by implicating the general public as being unrefined and undeserving.

Public art should be a democratic forum that provides integrating cultural experiences for the general art audience. When the public venue is controlled by an elitist ideology that exhibits esoteric art as status symbols of the oligarchy, it cheats the public of the sense of fulfillment and inclusion they seek. While art is unavoidably connected to class struggle, it remains the responsibility of the artist to expose injustices and not be gulled by promises of fame, fortune and tenure.

Art can be challenging and evocative without demeaning the public. Artists are certainly capable of producing art that appeals to a broad audience without dumbing down the concepts. The more difficult task is to produce art that will not be subjugated to the oppressive ideology of an elitist art establishment