Art and Entertainment

Ricci Milan, one of the founders of Feet Don't Fail Me Now, has me thinking today. This required a serious blog post. He asked, "What is the difference between art and entertainment?"

I can take this at face value.

If I go to Merriam-Webster, art, as a noun, has six distinct definitions.

1) skill acquired by experience, study, or observation
2) a branch of learning; one of the humanities
3) an occupation requiring knowledge or skill
4) the conscious use of skill and creative imagination especially in the production of aesthetic objects; also works so produced; ibe of the fine arts; a graphic art
5) a skillful plan; the quality or state of being artful
6) decorative or illustrative elements in printed manner


Then, entertainment has three distinct definitions.

1) The act of entertaining
2) maintenance; provision; employment
3) amusement or diversion provided especially by performers; something diverting or engaging as a public performance or a usually light comic or adventure novel.

It seems that, if trying to take the question literally, it only causes more confusion.

Ricci is a tap dancer. Is tap dancing an art? Is tap dancing entertainment?

I love tap dancing. I don't know how to do it, but I love it. I love watching tappers perform, what I consider, to be an art. Is is entertainment? The fact that I enjoy watching it would make it entertainment to me. However, it is not entertainment to somebody that does not enjoy tap dancing.

I still haven't answered the original question and I don't know if I'd ever be able to answer the original question.
v I enjoy writing. Writing is known as an art. It is somebody creating something for an enjoyment and usually for others to enjoy. However, is writing entertainment? The fact that I enjoy writing does make it entertainment for myself. Sure, it is not fun for people to sit and watch me write. However, my writing is an art. Is my writing "a performance?"

My first answer would be that it is not. Then, I could expand my thinking to the fact that people read my writing. If I included the act of reading in my writing, perhaps it could be a performance because my work was created for others to enjoy.

So, overall, I guess art is the action of creating and entertainment is the result of art. Yet, it still leaves large gaping hole of confusion because it may not be exactly those things. The definitions seem to overlap. How do we decided what is art and what is entertainment?

Discuss.