I think the time was probably in 1970. While you have a much larger audience today, and computers have kicked the artistic potential of individuals into overdrive, I think the main factor in a healthy arts economy is a wealthy society.
The America of the 70s hit around its peak wealth per person - it has been going down ever since. I don't think the advances in artist productivity trump the fact people make significantly less money than before, and buying art of any form (including entertainment) is still a luxury.
Hopefully the best is yet to come - if we can get a fabricated / automated food revolution, and automated housing, and automated raw materials mining / gathering in the next few decades, besides the fact most people won't have non STEM / artistic / law / business work to do, there would be more luxurious wealth to go around.
I guess it could go either in the direction of everyone goes destitute as a concentrated few own the automated means of production, or government intervention means everyone has the lower tiers of the hierarchy needs covered without straining oneself, leaving everything else to creative pursuits.
The America of the 70s hit around its peak wealth per person - it has been going down ever since. I don't think the advances in artist productivity trump the fact people make significantly less money than before, and buying art of any form (including entertainment) is still a luxury.
Hopefully the best is yet to come - if we can get a fabricated / automated food revolution, and automated housing, and automated raw materials mining / gathering in the next few decades, besides the fact most people won't have non STEM / artistic / law / business work to do, there would be more luxurious wealth to go around.
I guess it could go either in the direction of everyone goes destitute as a concentrated few own the automated means of production, or government intervention means everyone has the lower tiers of the hierarchy needs covered without straining oneself, leaving everything else to creative pursuits.