Funding for the arts? - What do ya'll think?

[Sasafrás]

Last year when I was a sophomore, I had to write a persuasive essay for my English course. I decided to write an essay proving that the arts shoud not be funded by the government. I have different views about all that now, but here are some points I made in my essay:

Since the National Endowment for the Arts was created, the annual appropriation has increased from about $2.5 million in 1966 to $105 million in 2001... In 1992, the NEA appropriated a high of $176 million. From fiscal year (FY) 2000 to fiscal year 2001, the appropriation increased from $98 million to $105, a $7 million increase. Since its creation, the NEA has spent over $4 billion.

Dollars given to the NEA could be used for education, health care, social security, defense, and/or Veteran's benefits/services. Betterment of education is especially necessary. Although $105 million (NEA appropriation in FY 2001) is not a colossal fraction of $1.84 trillion budget in the US, it could make some advancements in our nation's education system(s). Also, the Dept. of Veteran's Affairs received only 2.5 cents of each American tax dollar in FY 1999.

Many 'artistic works' are not very P.C. and can be very offensive to many people. American tax dollars should not be donated to the degrading and humiliation of any race, religion, color, or creed. Paintings of religious figures being demoted and shamed; movies in which racial slurs towards Asians, Latinos, African-Americans (or anyone else) are used; and other 'artistic' works which may be an abashment to a certain group of people - these should not be supported by the [American] taxpaying citizens.

Now, I have a few different ideas about all of that, but I'm really more indifferent to the thought of the arts being supported by the government.

I don't know if this has already been brought up before, but I'd still like to know. What do you guys think about the arts being funded by the government? Is there actually a certain 'leftist' view of that? I have no idea. Anyway, what are you guys' views?

[PunkRawker677]

well, i definitly think that there are more important issues than public art to be dealt with... money in those amounts could definitly help some of the more needed aspects of life, such as healthcare of education..

[sabre]

hey shayla u know how i was telling u how my mom was down in memphis? thats what she was there for

she was working in schools advocating aesthetic education and hes company basically gets grant money for alot of these schools

shes a member of the Pennsylvania Endowment for the Arts and was at a big conference down there in memphis on arts somethingorother

she might have even been in your shcool

[sabre]

the arts are the ultimate embodiment of a culture, even after any politcal systems die or change, there is still arts

[I Will Deny You]

I think the government should fund arts and the humanities. Especially arts and humanities teachers. :)

The fact is, art is an important part of our culture. And since privately produced "art" is Dude, Where's My Car? I think the government should definitely fund some art. If we can use our tax dollars to spray herbicide in the Amazon, we should be able to use our tax dollars to fund great works of art. (Has anyone here been to The National Art Gallery? Everyone should go . . . it's beautiful and it's huge.) And, oh yeah, I need to eat.

But you did bring up a good point in your essay. Right now there's a very controversial exhibit in The Jewish Museum in New York with the message that fashion equals fascism.

You know which work of art our government should have funded? The painting of the Queen of England that had poo smeared all over her face! We could start a war with England and write the painting off as a defense and security expense!

(With a little creative accounting, we will be able to fund every single artist in the entire nation. Why not put Arthur Andersen to good use now that they'll have so much free time, what with Enron gone and all?)

[Sasafrás]

Oh, I hope you read this, sabre. Ask you mami if she visited or at least knows of Wooddale High School. That's where I go.

Anyway, I do see the arts as something very important in our society, but health care and such things definitely are more important. However, when you look at it, the arts still is not getting a great deal of gov't support, so the NEA's not too bad. The arts give us all new ways to look at the world around us. I feel that way because I am an artist (I draw, paint, and write) myself. If it weren't for the arts, my life would be without worth and boring..

[sabre]

She only went to elementary schools
but she did meet Johnny B. Watson, the superintendent



She went to Kingsbury, Grahamwood and Bruce elementary schools, did you go to any of those?

My mom says : "Ask her if her high school has an aesthetic education program through the Center for Arts Education, Memphis Arts Council" Thats who she was with.