The Boston Globe: FOR THE SECOND budget cycle in a row, Donald Trump is attempting to eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. This should not be surprising, from an administration that has shown disregard — even hostility — for government’s responsibility to provide essential human services as well as agencies that ensure the general welfare, for everything from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health to the Environmental Protection Agency.
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This article was an especially interesting read this week! It is not uncommon knowledge that President Trump, his administration, and many other officials that are in office right now have not and do not uphold the arts as something that need national support and attention. In fact, as the article points out, there has even been outright hostility towards the arts and arts funding. This article by the Boston Globe did a great job of using Boston as a city that readers can look through as a lens to see how defunding of the arts might realistically change the culture and society of one place. Seeing the things that could go away, everything from theatre to public art installations, gives you a real life look at the change that can come with the defunding of governmental programs like the NEA and NEH. I hope that well written, thoughtful articles like this one might help more people with differing views to see whiy funding and support for all kinds of arts is so important.
Politicians don’t care about the Arts. They care only about what will keep them in office and that comes from those fancy lobbying firms that line K street in Washington D.C.. The biggest issue is that GOP members of congress want to strengthen their base, which is made up of bankers, business, and military contractors. None of these care about the small community theatre in a low income african-american community that is trying to not only give a safe space for neighborhood youth but to also encourage young minds to grow. Art is not profitable to them. Art is not a constant stream of revenue, nor does it get them brownie points with the base. Trump and his allies don’t care about the existence of the NEA, they care about finding ways to cut federal spending and regulation so that they can reduce taxes on the wealthy and corporations. They want to usher in a new gilded age and attend fancy parties and lavish events and go see Opera, but they don’t want to pay for it. Instead of supporting communities, they want everything handed to them for free. This is why the NEA suffers. This is why community arts programs suffers. The people who have the power to fund the arts would rather fund the caviar for their next party, and even then they want to negotiate a steep discount. All in the name of politics.
I find it so incredibly hard to understand why the fine art’s budget is always the first to be attacked. I think that politicians take the arts for granted. They believe that a functioning society only need to thrive off of education and capitalism. I think it is hard for them to understand that an essential for this country’s community is also its culture. The United States is a mosh pit of different people and cultures. When you put it all together that is the development of the US’s culture. Art gives people life and hope. When there is darkness around us and work drags us down, people look to music, movies, painting, anything art related to lift their spirits. The US government, and more specifically Trump, is looking to take that happiness away from us simply because he wants to prioritize the budget for things he considers more important.
It's so discouraging as an artist to see politicians care so little about what a large part of their people enjoy and actively participate in. They just don't seem to care about the arts and It doesn't quiet make sense that they would ignore such an integral and important part of their society. We are so fortunate in the United states to have such a different and unique arts culture with all different kinds and ideas. There are few places on earth that the opportunity and the exposure is as strong for artists as it is in the United States. It doesn't make sense that politicians just choose to ignore and actively hurt the arts community with these actions. It does nothing but turn people off and can actually hurt the economy and general moral of its citizens. It's true that Trump has made this even clearer by cutting funding but he's not the only one doing this to the arts community it's also big in all levels of government and we as artists of today and tomorrow need to make our voices heard in order to stop this.
I find this so disappointing but i cannot say that I am surprised. The current administration has made it clear that they are willing to push back against any form of liberalism and the arts are notorious for being "liberal elites." I think that, because Trump is offended by Hollywood, he has decided to defund the arts in a subtle way of limiting free speech. Like Mattox says, there are few places like the United States where artists are able to have high exposure and create without consequence. To me, this move to cut the budget for arts funding seems to be a way to prevent small artists/institutions from showcasing something that may be offensive to the Trump administration. However, the best art is not done for or by elites. They are created by everyday people with an idea. I think these budgetary constraints creates the perfect opportunity to show just how powerful art can be, even with a low budget.
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