One of the first things I did was begin to absorb the history and the milestones of the agency. Imagine my surprise in discovering that our budget in 2017 was almost the exact same as it was 40 years earlier.
A 40-year-old budget, no adjustment for inflation, and a hundred million more people in the country.
With an unchanged budget and an ever expanding population, the National Endowment for the Arts has created remarkably effective programs that blanket the nation.
4 comments:
I didn’t know a lot about the National Endowment for the Arts before reading this article. I had a general idea of what they did just based on their name, and I occasionally heard them mentioned as sponsors on NPR, but beyond that, they’re kind of off my radar. This article is clearly a little biased, the author works at the NEA and is clearly an unwavering advocate of the organization, but even so, she makes a convincing point about the value of the NEA. If all of her statistics and figures are accurate, the NEA is likely one of the most effective government agencies, both economically and socially. It provides opportunities equitably and across the nation, including where other organizations do not, and it does this while having a significant economic benefit to the nation. It runs with relatively low overhead costs, and it seems to be very well organized and well managed. I think it is important to continue investing in the NEA, and programs like it.
I knew the National arts Endowment helps to bolster art in areas where monetary resources are lacking, in areas where the art and entertainment industry can reach communities that would not have as many or any opportunities for artistic exposure. However, I did not realize how actively the NEA seeks out programs that not only spread the arts but use them as a tool to help those who’s disabilities or impairments limit them from engaging in more mainstream media. My only wish is that the author did not try to make it seem like the NEA can do such good with hardly anything. As a government program with already such limited resources that is always the subject of budgetary reconsideration, something like this feels like fuel to the fire behind those who strive to continually cut funding. It’s almost a justification, despite the author’s intentions to convey the agency’s crucial role in this country. Look how well they’re doing with an unchanged budget after 40 years, let’s see what they can do with even less.
I agree that the national endowment for the arts is a really vital organization in our government which is so commonly unknown or overlooked by the majority of the population. They do so much work which thoroughly enriches the united states and the lives that the program is able to touch so many individuals on a variety of levels. With the current state of the united states government I think the National Endowment for the Arts can act as a sort of bright spot in a time of a lot of darkness, a bright spot that has earned its right to be there. The article presented some compelling information on the return of the investment when it comes to funding the endowment for the arts. The overall reach of the program is also very impactful and allows for art to be brought to places that otherwise might have not been able have that outlet in their community.
Honestly, I have never really known what the National Endowment for the Arts did until I read this. I just knew that it was important, and that it was not something that should have its budget cut like it has been. It is really unfortunate to see how little some people care about art. Maybe they just do not see the importance of it the way I do, or maybe they do not think it is important at all, which is something I think is really just laughable. It is crazy for me to think that people do not realize how infused art is in our daily lives. Without art, there is no music, TV, movies, and dozens of other things that we all love to do and see. It is all intertwined with art and art organizations like the National Endowment for the Arts. NEA specifically has such a wide reach that it makes it a really important figure in the American art world.
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