Causecast

by MELISSA JUN ROWLEY, Contributing Writer

The United States economy is entering its 20th month of a darkening recession in July. During a period of frightening financial hardship, a time when we need inspiration and enlightenment the most, federal funding for the fine arts has been placed at the bottom of the totem poll among the government’s priorities.

Of the $787 billion stimulus package signed into law last month, $50 million was allocated to the National Endowment for the Arts. Fifty million dollars is a smidgen of the Obama administration’s mammoth bailout plan, and a small price to pay for the intellectual and cultural enrichment of America, the most developed nation in the world.

Back in 1992, federal financing for the arts was at an all-time high of $176 million. A few years later, the Bush administration slashed that amount down to less than &100 million.

The current number being offered to the creative souls of America, the crusaders of dexterity and expression, is at $155 million. In early March, The U.S. Senate approved a $410 billion spending package to fund the government operations through 2009
The bill was created to fuel the Departments of Agriculture, Transportation, Labor, State and Justice, and others. Among the various projects and initiatives lives the National Endowment for the Arts, which is receiving the second-lowest fraction included in the new legislation. The smallest portion of money, $31 million, is going toward construction of the U.S. Capitol Visitor’s Center.

While the millions of dollars bestowed upon the NEA can be divided among arts organizations throughout the country, the total sum is grossly disproportionate with the country’s needs and with the fundamentals that keep a nation civilized. Creative outlets, artistic resources, and entertainment are more than mere luxuries. They are cultural necessities that influence our quality of life. For centuries, art has been responsible for instigating and reflecting social change. And right now in this cloudy time of chaos and crisis, our country needs change and evolution more than ever.

The historical significance of various forms of art has been studied and emulated since the beginning of time. If humankind has learned anything over the years, it’s that history repeats itself. If the arts die, we die.

Take the Dark Ages or the Middle Ages, for example. Devoid of any significant writing or creative achievements, little is known about the societal collapse that took place in Western Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire, hence the period is known as the “Dark Ages.” After barbarian invasions led to the destruction of magnificent buildings and fine works of art and crafts, knowledge survived by a hanging thread.

Art is a great many things. It is music. It is poetry. It is literature. It is design. It is imagery and movement. But it is even more than this. Art serves as a catalyst and a light way to invention and expansion of the mind. Art is what separates us from animals. Art leads to scientific discoveries and new awakenings.,
Da Vinci’s world-renowned drawing, the Vitruvian Man, perfectly exemplifies a history and scintillating combination of creativity and science, and is an homage to the spirit and value of imagination. The illustration that sprung from Da Vinci’s quest to discover how mature connects to the human body is a contemporary symbol studied and referred to by countless doctors and medical institutions today.

While the relevance of art has stood the test of time, there are still those whoa re not in favor of any sort of public funding for the arts…at all. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal is one of them. His proposed $26.7 billion state budget for 2009 calls for the elimination of a couple of million dollars from the budget of the Louisiana Decentralized Arts Fund, which created grants of $500 to $10,000 to cultural projects across the state. The proposed cuts amount to an 82 percent decrease in the fund’s budget and would effectively eliminate the program.

When he appeared on “Larry King Live” a few months ago, Jindal expressed his disapproval of subsidizing the arts.
“Fundamentally, I don’t think…$50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts is going to get the economy moving again as quickly as allowing the private sector to create jobs.”

What the governor did not mention is that the arts provide jobs to six million people collectively in the U.S. According to the study Arts and Economic Prosperity III: The Economic Impact of Nonprofit Arts and Cultural Organizations and their audiences, the nonprofit arts industry generates $166.2 billion in economic activity every year.

Thankfully, some artists with notoriety and influence are hustling hard to bring the facts to the fore in Washington. During a House Committee meeting in Washington on March 27, actor Tim Daly, co-president of the nonprofit entertainment advocacy group The Creative Coalition, said it’s his “mission to make America understand that the arts are part of our cultural and economic main course—they are not dessert”

Daly reported that his prime time TV show Private Practice spends a total of $125,000 per episode on expenses outside the production studios. This includes $200,000 on catered food, $25,000 to $40,000 on clothes and costumes, $2,500 on dry cleaning, and $15,000 on set furniture. Daly says all of this money, stimulating the economy, makes his series a prime example of a good investment.

On March 31, the New York Times reported that the lobbying group Americans for the Arts urged Congress to increase the appropriation for the NEA from $155 million to $200 million for fiscal year 2010. Musicians Josh Groban, Wynton Marsalis, and Linda Ronstadt testified before a House subcommittee, arguing that important aspects of U.S. culture could be lost to younger generations if funding the arts is not made more of a public priority.

Due to the lack of government dollars supporting the arts, it is important for people to make contributions to national or local arts organizations when they can. On March 17, philanthropist Glorya Kaufman gave $20 million to the Los Angeles Music Center’s Dance Program. This gift is the largest sum of money ever donated to a dance organization.

During a press conference, Kaufman said the “arts are critical to the life blood of this nation. During this difficult time when art programs are barely getting by, we must do our part to protect what could be lost.
While most people do not have the means to make contributions of Kaufman’s size, there multiple ways individuals of any economy status can become active advocates of the arts.”

Here are just a few ways to start:
1. Contribute to the National Endowment for the Arts
2. Support the Creative Coalition
3. Take part in Americans for the Arts by donating, becoming a member of the organization, or making your voice heard at the White House.
4. Find local arts organizations that you’d like to support

Art brought us out of the Dark Ages. The sheer survival of the arts is not enough to keep our country in check. We are heavy with financial burden. We are exhausted from market anxiety. We are losing our minds. And all the while, we are getting dangerously closer to letting the art that keeps us human, brings us joy, and allows us to express every emotion, slide into a dismal abyss.
Let us celebrate creative vision and ingenuity. Let us lend out voices and energy in support of continuous growth of our hearts and minds. Let there be light in our country during this nebulous time of fear and frustration. Let there be art.
Photo by Mr. T in DC, flickr