Whats wrong with a little government welfare for the arts?
We have no proof, except for the very beginning of the endowment’s existence, that the government has actually helped the arts. I think the best situation is where well-run private foundations give grants that do not discriminate on a stylistic basis but on the basis of quality. England, France and Germany have enormous cultural programs. The Netherlands does too. It has warehouses full of the work artists have produced that it can’t do anything with. Doesn’t it seem a little barbaric that a major country shouldn’t have a sizable cultural program? I never assume the European example is a great one to follow. Is there any reason to think that the NEA might one day be terminated? Realistically, abolishing the NEA is a nonissue. If the Gingrich Congress couldn’t do it, it’s not going to be done. No one running for office is even talking about it. What’s likely to happen to it? I think until someone can determine whether we can achieve a considerable shift in the way the NEA goes about its
