The Benefits of Funding the Arts

Section Two: History: Since public schools across the country have faced budget cuts in the past decade and a half, a common cost-cutting measure is to lessen the funding for arts education, prioritizing what are deemed more essential subjects such as math, reading, and science. Yet in fact, the current iteration of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, also known as the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, lists that the arts are among the core academic subjects, requiring all schools to enable all students to achieve in the arts and reap all the benefits of a comprehensive arts education. Yet the economically prioritized curriculum is still draining the sources from these imperative programs leaving instruments, paintbrushes, and other artistic pieces in closets to collect dust, because no one will be there to teach or use them. Most impacting in the history of

By having art programs in schools students gain skills such as, problem solving, critical and creative thinking, integration of multiple skill sets, and working with others. Qualities such as these are very necessary for creating exemplary students. Arts have already proven to help with many long standing problems but critical thinking is needed for jobs in the outside world. “ … Creating art supports problem-solving, creative thought and critique like no other discipline.” ( Schoales,2) By participating in artistic classes students gain discipline that most classes fail to teach. These valuable lessons learned from art can’t be found anywhere

Throughout history there have been many public funding’s that contributed to the world of art. Whether anyone realizes it or not, artists have a lot of responsibilities to try and please the public when they are working for the public. Also, there are numerous regional issues that greatly influence decisions about publicly funded art. Art is very important when forming a sense of nation character, therefore, we should support the public funding of art in America. Art is an important part of society and it can also be a very valuable part of our everyday lives. However, there are many positive and negative effects when it comes to the public funding of art in America. Supporters claim that subsidizing the arts pays for itself. These supporters suggest that the arts are what drive the economy of businesses within a community.

Having posted this on World-Post, which is a news and blog website created through a partnership between Liberal news aggregator Huffington Post and a nonpartisan powerhouse, the Berggruen Institute on Governance, allows for this essay to not get exposed to the pro STEM or anti-arts parties. Sparking up the discussion of reintroducing the arts back into everyday society’s curriculum, you need to direct this essay towards both the audience, and the individuals who have the power to make this change. If Ma bring up a primarily pro-art focused paper, and only shares this piece of writing with mostly fellow supports of the arts, Ma misses the “equilibrium” that he spoke so highly about. If we can’t have both sides of the spectrum be able to analyze and discuss the ideas presented in this paper, then it’s going to be close to impossible to enact any change within society to reintroduce more of the arts back into

The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the federal government specifically designed to support and enhances the art community for minority groups. The NEA was founded in 1965 and has controlled the art community ever since. This has aided in censoring works of supposedly obscene and controversial art. The elimination of the NEA, or making it a private organization, would free much needed public tax dollars to go to more important parts of the nations budgets, as well as open the art communities up for the freedom to exhibit the controversial pieces of art work the NEA deems inappropriate.

In 1961, Kennedy appointed a Special Consultant on the Arts and made public support for the arts an official policy agenda (Bauerlin and Grantham, p. 6). In 1963 President’s Advisory Council on the Arts was created (p. 7). After President Kennedy’s assassination, President Johnson continued to support Kennedy’s vision of founding a federal arts agency. The next year Johnson signed the National Arts and Cultural Development Act of 1964. This created a 24-member council to “recommend ways to maintain and increase the cultural resources of the nation and to encourage and develop greater appreciation and enjoyment of the arts by its citizens” (p. 15). The Arts Endowment started its first fiscal year with a budget of $2.5 million and a staff of twelve, and its first grant recipient was the American Ballet Theater (p. 19). They provided support to both classical forms of art (such as ballet and opera) and emerging art and art trends (such as pop art and jazz); and provided funding for both established and up-and-coming artists (p. 22). Furthermore, the committee provided support for art education, and archival and preservation efforts such as the American Film Institute (“AFI”) (p. 23).

"Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street?" If some people in this country have their way, and funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is cut, then the answer to that question will be no. Many people in this country want the federal government to remove the NEA from the national budget or at least cut back on its funding. Some of these people do not think that the Endowment is necessary, other people argue that the agency funds too many artists who create works that are off ensive to a majority of people. Though it may be true that some of the work recently produced has been offensive to a large number of people, it is not a reason to remove a very useful government program. The NEA provides jobs,

all of the budget slashing that is now taking place the arts is the first place

Famous Spanish artist, Pablo Picasso, once said, “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” Schools all around the United States are closing their arts programs including music, art, and theatre, because of budget cuts. More than 25% of public high schools have closed done away with their arts programs. Blogger Katrina Soliman stated in her blog about the lack of creative opportunities in school, “Children have a knack for originality” and “Schools advise students to be creative but do not give time to do so.” The arts, however, are very important to children while they learn to grow and there have been hundreds of studies showing why they’re important. They improve test scores, give students creative ideas after high school and there are also other nonacademic uses.

State and federal governments wrestle with the many questions that come with the funding of public art. People wonder whether or not government has a legitimate role in the arts and if they do, whether or not the arts should be given funds when so many other needs are present in our society. I believe that art provides many benefits and that if policymakers would begin to understand these benefits that the arts have on government and citizens, then they would find a way to support the arts even through difficult financial situations. “Arts and culture are consistent sources of economic growth, during both good and difficult economic times. Specifically, arts and culture policies and programs increase economic development in states by attracting

Although the society is never going to come to an agreement, if the government gets rid of the National Endowments for the Arts, our nation would diminish its love and insight of the world. Art is more than what we see from the eye, it affects us as a person and how we connect with others, it’s important for me because it doesn’t compel my decision on how I want to build my future. Learning more about the National Endowment for the Arts, wanting to help is simply by spreading the word among friends and donating to keep the program alive. I admire the NEA and my love for the arts has grown and more people should understand and appreciate

Public art catches an abundance of attention and the artist receives so much recognition, there’s no need for the government to show it off even more. Instead of the government using their money for art, they can use it on more important things, such as employment and education for people who have no money to do so. With the government investing in art, they will not benefit from it a whole lot. They will be able to show it off to the public but will receive nothing from this.

A majority of the nation, up until recent visual and performance art legislation was proposed in congress, hadn't been made aware that they, the taxpayers, were supporting any form of art. It wasn't until the recent attacks on the NEA, an agency designed to fund grants to certain projects, that taxpayers paid attention. The government's funding of the arts is a highly controversial issue that argues some of the most basic philosophical questions regarding the subjective and objective views of aesthetic value.

Art education is often underestimated by many who believe that school was created to teach only analytical concepts such as mathematics and literature. However, research has shown that art courses are important, even necessary for students in elementary, middle, and high schools. These art classes may include not only visual arts but performing arts such as dance, theatre and choir. Barbara Streisand said, “Art does not exist only to entertain, but also to challenge one to think, to provoke, even to disturb, in a constant search for the truth,” (Quotations). Streisand points out that there are multiple benefits to art whether it be painted by a brush or sung from the heart. Art has the ability to allow people to see situations from

In addition, art can be a way people can help express and bring attention to their own ideas. David again says that if a person were to find an inspirational art piece, say on a building or poster, then those art pieces will help a person become motivated to make a change in their world. Furthermore, if a person were to create inspirational art then that allows a person to get their own ideas across to the world. That person may be the one to help people make a change or that piece of art can show the creator of the art is trying to make a difference in their world. So to restate, “everywhere [people] go art is evident. Parks often use sculptures to add interest and to inform people.