Prominent conservative Christian figures including Pat Robertson of the 700 Club and Pat Buchanan joined the attacks. Whose Interests to Serve? Since its inception fifty years ago, the NEA has sought to strengthen the creative capacity of communities by providing all Americans with diverse opportunities for arts participation. But this year for the first time artists themselves are questioning whether they are being used by the agency to foster a political agenda. Through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector, the NEA supports arts learning, In 1989, Donald Wildmon of the American Family Association held a press conference attacking what he called "anti-Christian bigotry," in an exhibition by photographer Andres Serrano. Reagan's first director of the Office of Management and Budget, David A. Stockman, thought the NEA and the National Endowment for the Humanities were "good [departments] to simply bring to a halt because they went too far, and they would be easy to defeat." Johnson imagined these programs as ways to serve “not only the needs of the body and the demands of commerce but the desire for beauty and the hunger for community.” Through our blog, we hope to enrich public understanding of what art is and how art works in our communities. [7] For FY 2010, the budget reached the level it was at during the mid-1990s at $167.5 million[8] but fell again in FY 2011 with a budget of $154 million. Through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector, the Arts Endowment supports arts … They instructed the commission to conduct a study of the "the state of the humanities in America." Combing through the 40+ year history of the NEA, I could not find a single instance of the agency creating or supporting a national initiative that encouraged the art community to address current issues under contentious debate. 50 years ago President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Endowment for the Arts into existence, along with a suite of other ambitious social programs, all under the rubric of the Great Society. Upon entering office in 1981, the incoming Ronald Reagan administration intended to push Congress to abolish the NEA completely over a three-year period. In March 1965, the White House took the lead on the issue, proposing the establishment the National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities and requesting $20 million in start up funds. [5], The National Endowment for the Arts was created during the term of President Lyndon B. Johnson under the general auspices of the Great Society. § 954 which provides that the NEA Chairperson shall ensure that artistic excellence and artistic merit are the criteria by which applications are judged. Established by Congress in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts is the independent federal agency whose funding and support gives Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts, exercise their imaginations, and develop their creative capacities. There is a similar organization in the UK called the Arts Council "Artistic scarcity in an age of material abundance: President Lyndon Johnson, the National Endowment for the Arts, and Great Society liberalism. Photo courtesy of Frank Hodsoll/National Endowment for the Arts. ", Jensen, Richard. The ceremony marked the highpoint of a day devoted to celebrating culture. Lowell, Julia F. "State Arts Agencies 1965-2003. According to historian Karen Patricia Heath, "Johnson personally was not much interested in the acquisition of knowledge, cultural or otherwise, for its own sake, nor did he have time for art appreciation or meeting with artists." The Arts Endowment encourages projects that use the arts to unite and heal in response to current events, as well as address any of the following: Celebrate America’s creativity and/or cultural heritage. The NEA Jazz Masters Fellowships are awarded to individuals who have made significant contributions to the art of jazz. ", Schuster, J. It does this by awarding three lifetime achievement awards. America: History American Newspapers they instructed the commission 's recommendations at 18:16 roles! The Mapplethorpe show in September, when President Johnson lent his endorsement during speech... Budget outline submitted by President Trump on March 16, 2017 Observations by a Global Nomad.. 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