Altruism is recognized as "a cultural behavior, well beyond instinctive behavior, and even beyond adaptive social behaviors with respect to evolutionary processes" (Wilson, 1998, p. 29) Yet, if artmaking is a cultural behavior it is one that does not appear at first "to contribute to the survival of the species" (Wilson, 1998, p. 29). In fact, many deem the arts "as nice but not necessary" (Eisner, 2002, p. xi). At the same time, artmaking is "clearly" extant in the survival of all cultures. This apparent value gap sparks some fundamental questions: First impressions aside, are cultures en masse, or the creation of culture, crucial to the survival of this species? If so, how can the reevaluation of the artmaking and design practices that contribute to the creation of culture be reevaluated? In this article, the author argues that there is a more generalized and significant relationship between artmaking and altruistic intent than even his personal experience indicates, and that altruism is a critical operational mode of cognition of the highest order.