IS THE NEA BAD FOR THE ARTS?

Doug McLennan on Arts Journal

A ridiculous question, sure. The National Endowment for the Arts is the channel through which the federal government invests money in the arts. And though it’s not much money, compared to what other countries invest, it’s something. Besides giving money, the NEA also has the value of drawing attention or legitimacy to the things it supports. Good things.

But some of the recent debates about whether the arts ought to get cabinet-level prominence in the Obama administration seemed to me to be missing something. Sure it would be nice if the feds supported the arts a bit more. And culture ought to be featured more prominently on the national stage. But these are not the best reasons to think about a new Arts Department. Read More.