Why do we need a National Endowment for the Arts?

Question

It seems to me that art, just like music and movies should sink or swim on their own merit. Can someone familiar with this subject let me know why tax dollars are being funneled to artists?

ALL of you have great and detailed answers which make your case but I will leave this one up to the voters. Thank you all for the information~Spenix

Answer 1

The arts have been greatly neglected by our school program, but don't touch the money going to sports. There is no shortage of athletic money, athletic fields, coaches, equipment. But find a class for specifically design for art instruction and see how much art equipment and materials are available. How many people go to sporting events and how many go to the art exhibits??

All ART need encouragement and monetary support to survive.

Art is who we are. It is about who we are going to be. Art is what makes us human and helps us recognize our own humanity. And that is slipping away. Art makes us civilized and any monetary support to protect that is a good thing.

When you study history you study the art to see how civilized that culture could have been and when the future archaeologist study our buried treasures they will find melted and broken CDs because they won't be much art to find.

Answer 2

Wow this is a sensitive issue ...... Like LJK said, art is already being squeezed out of public schools by their re-doubled efforts to improve English and math skills. Not that there's anything wrong with core skills but it's very, very sad and actually scary that we're training an entire generation without an appreciation or skill set in the visual arts.

Another way to look at it is that the Federal government provides scientific research grants every yearfor everything from cancer research to astronomy to subatomic physics. Most of these result in limited tangable results but that is the nature of research. The possible payoff warrants the investment. I think that the idea that the US should not only be a technical and financial leader in the world, but also a creative one is a STRONG reason to continue to provide the seed $ to help promote the arts.

But that's just my opinion :)

Answer 3

It's only a little money for a few artists, when you look at it carefully. We already cut art and music out of public schools. Unless we want all upper class art, we had better lend a helping hand, don't you think? Already in some music and in films we are in trouble, except for some indies... the Endowments are a drop in the bucket. Let them be! ;-}