Fact of the Day: 22/02/2022

We have probably all heard of the Olympic Games. They are a series of competitions in which people from around the world compete in various activities. Did you know that art competitions were once part of the Olympics?  According to Smithsonian Magazine, “the Olympics awarded official medals for painting, sculpture, architecture, literature and music” as well as for the traditional athletic categories (Stromberg par. 2). The art contests only lasted between 1912 and 1948, however; after 1948, the competitions were “replaced by a noncompetitive exhibition . . . [that] eventually became known as the Cultural Olympiad” (par. 11).  Even now, art contestants do not vie for medals, though they still receive cash prizes (par. 13). Do you think the Olympics should have kept the arts as medal-winning competitions?

Reference(s): https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/when-the-olympics-gave-out-medals-for-art-6878965/

Fact Author: Durga I.

Fact Editor: Ace

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