WPA POSTER
There has been a operational debate on behalf of decades about the extent to which the government should support the arts.  It’s lovely to know that Obama recognizes the contributions that the arts manufacture to our communities, nation, as well as world.  Here is an excerpt from a recent piece in the NY Times.
New York Times, March 24th, “Problems Persist, but Arts Advocates See Progress Under Obama” (excerpt):
Given the battle in Congress to include money on behalf of the arts in the stimulus package, cultural groups say Washington officials still fail to recognize artists as workers. “The third violinist in a chamber orchestra goes out as well as buys groceries just like everybody else,” said Bill Ivey, a former chairman of the Endowment.
Teresa Eyring, the executive director of the Theater Communications Group, which represents the country’s nonprofit theaters, said: “Local as well as regional elected officials as well as community leaders are seeing as well as talking about the connection between the arts as well as the overall health of their communities. The same sensibility hasn’t quite landed at the national level.”
“In President Obama we have a leader who is making the connection,” she added, “who seems to understand both the spiritual as well as economic necessity of the arts to our nation’s strength.”
Mr. Ivey, who led the transition team devoted to the arts as well as recently met with Mr. Dale, said he expected the White House position to involve coordinating the work of the Endowment, the National Endowment on behalf of the Humanities, as well as the Institute of Museum as well as Library Services.
“It’s great to have a direct West Wing connection,” Mr. Ivey said.
“I don’t think we’ve ever had an administration that thought about the vibrancy of our cultural life as a central public policy,” he added, “as a marker of quality of life in a democracy.”
Posted in Artists, Arts, Democracy, National Endowment on behalf of the Arts, National Endowment on behalf of the Humanities, Obama, politics, WPA Tagged: Artists, Arts, Democracy, National Endowment on behalf of the Arts, National Endowment on behalf of the Humanities, Obama, politics, WPA