Thursday, January 21, 2010
NEA Offers $250,000 Grants for U.S. Cities That Enhance Arts
Bloomberg.com: "The National Endowment for the Arts said it will grant as much as $250,000 apiece for urban design projects that promote the arts."
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I am amazed at what the arts can do for a community. The theater I work at at home is in an area that was essentially killed by the decrease in popularity of the railroad as a mode of transportation. Since then, it has been a relatively run down "historic district". In the last 5-8 years, many arts groups have taken up shop in the historic buildings. There is a gallery, design firm, theater, cartoon studio, several high-class bistros and many other interesting locations that have made the town a much more vibrant arts community. Cities need to understand that by enhancing the arts, they enhance themselves. By attracting artists and works of art, the city will attract those who enjoy these works and the industry that surrounds them. Eventually, the community will find itself better off. This is why the government should fund the arts. Not so John Smith can finally make his dream painting to hang in his backyard, but to improve the lives of those in our community.
I'm glad to hear that the NEA is taking this giant step to help the growth of the arts in this country. I think that many communities could benefit wildly from enhancing their architecture and giving their people more sense of unity. This is a great time for this as well now that many small companies have closed due to the economy because it will give more small companies a chance to really make a difference and establish themselves in areas where they might not have otherwise. Landsmen says that a community is "changed profoundly" by the arts and its impact on everyone's community, even if you're not an artist, is very obvious. Pittsburgh is a great example of this because it's known for many things including its bridges, and dinosaur sculptures. These are things that give a community a personality that cannot be feigned or repeated anywhere else and are very important to the growth and prosperity of that community.
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