Is "professionalization" in art equal to success?

I caught a link on We Make Money Not Art to this Artworld Salon article that contemplated the criticism of an increasingly professionalized art world. The article questions, “What’s wrong with professionalization?” after citing examples of back-handed comments towards the MFA and PhD in the arts. The questions it raises are: does “professionalization” make artists less creative and provocative, more generic and safe? Is successful art the creation of safe, professionalized art? why should provocative art necessitate a lack of financial or institutional security?

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