We read about funding cuts and immediately there is outrage, “how can they do this?”, “where is the soul in our government?”, “how can they devalue the arts like this?” and so on. We never look at ourselves or for that matter outside of our sphere to realize that we have not yet made ourselves a necessity. If we are vital to the world’s well being, providing a basic human need, then obviously we’ve not totally proved it yet, or they wouldn’t keep targeting the arts…….
First of all in reading about the latest Federal budget, there are cuts all over the place, with some agencies receiving proportionally deeper cuts than the NEA. This article by Andrew Adler from Louisville is typical, with the focus on the money that is being cut and no mention of which programs will be affected:
No doubt, money is scarce in Frankfort and some people might reasonably declare that public arts agencies shouldn’t be exempt from bearing their share of the burden. Still, I can’t help but feel that once again, visual and performing arts fall under the heading of “expendable.”
Sounds like “victim status” to me which wont get us anywhere! Who’s fault is it that the arts are seen as expendable anyway? Again we refuse look at ourselves and too often feel a sense of entitlement over what should be a sense of privilege to have the opportunity to improve the quality of life and education in our communities.
The response from the NEA will be very telling. Gioia has actually focused on very specific programming to make sure that NEA funding serves every congressional district (right now in our building they are setting up for the NEA’s Poetry Out Loud). Hopefully his argument will focus on how the actual people in those districts will be affected by the cuts, not on the outrage from the arts groups and how they will be affected. With this broad approach by the NEA, he will be able to go to every member of congress to make the argument.
We need to stop being the victims and instead start demonstrating how the arts benefit the people, and how it is they that are ultimately losing the funding, not us!
Ron,
Thank you so much for this fine response to the current hysteria about funding at the federal, state and local levels.
When art becomes important it is created in the context of our societal, cultural, historical, political, and yes,economic lives. It then also becomes indispensable. We need to make sure that we make art that matters and show how the arts benefit people and then we will be the necessity that we think we are.