If you noticed my recent “Fractured Atlas On the Road” post, you may have seen that I attended Americans for the Arts’ Arts Advocacy Day the other week. I’ve been to this event a few times in the past and, although I do not believe in a big, one-day push for advocacy myself (I’m of the 365/24/7 advocacy state of mind), I think it’s generally good to get everyone in one big room talking about arts advocacy.
The best part about this year’s visit was that I was able to attend the congressional hearing that occurs during Arts Advocacy Day. This is where the congressional appropriations committee meets to hear from Dana Gioia, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts; Bob Lynch, Executive Director of Americans for the Arts; and other assorted arts notables, including luminaries like John Legend, Kerry Washington, and Robert Redford, among others. Interestingly enough, I was never inclined to go to this hearing in years past, even when I worked for the NEA. But, this year, I thought I’d see what all the fuss was about.
The following are just some of my “assorted ramblings”:
- Although I may not have agreed with all of Chairman Gioia’s initiatives while I was an employee at the NEA, I have to say that he has indeed done a terrific job in his position. His one big, early initiative — making sure that there was at least one NEA grantee in every American congressional district — has made even the conservatives swoon. With this effort, Gioia has [almost] ended the thoughts of the NEA Four that sometimes linger in the minds of conservative legislators. The NEA’s budget has consistently risen since he’s been chairman. Chairman Gioia has also helped the NEA gain funding from other government agencies, like the Department of Defense (for Shakespeare on military bases — eh). They are also looking into getting funding from (or have already obtained funding from) the Department of Veteran Affairs (I believe for the military literature initiative, Operation Homecoming, which became an Academy Award-nominated documentary) and from the Department of Homeland Security (for what exactly, I’m not sure). And, for all the hits that Shakespeare in American Communities initially took, according to the NEA, the initiative staged regional premieres of some of Shakespeare’s works. Premieres! After 400+ years! Basically, what Chairman Gioia was doing all along was working towards “democratizing” the arts — making it accessible to all Americans, even if some of the actual art (ie, Shakespeare) is somewhat inaccessible (don’t worry, the NEA provides study guides!). As a result of these initiatives and Chairman Gioia’s efforts, and after hearing the reactions from the congressmen on the committee, it seems that most legislators are now in favor of the NEA. Good job, Dana!
- The chairman of the committee, Congressman Norm Dicks, who is a huge arts advocate, asked a question of Chairman Gioia regarding the “arts in every congressional district” initiative. He said that he wanted to make sure that the NEA wasn’t funding organizations that do not deserve funding, simply because they are in a district lacking an NEA grant recipient. Chairman Gioia answered this question very diplomatically, stating that it would be inconceivable for there to be not a single good organization in each district and that, instead of digging to find one, the NEA has had trouble choosing which organizations to fund. I find this hard to believe, but will take Chairman Gioia’s word for it. In the end, Congressman Dicks was basically asking “Is bad art better than no art at all?” The jury is still out on that one, but please feel free to leave comments and discuss.
- Just a thought — to the staunchest of the staunch conservative legislators out there, who still do not believe in the arts in general, I say to them that without the arts, there would be no Christmas pageants, which I’m sure most, if not all, attend annually. As John Legend stated to the committee, his introduction to the arts was most likely as a singing star in the local Christmas pageant. And now he’s racked up multiple Grammy Awards. Speaking of John Legend, I found his background incredible — he skipped two grades, went to the University of Pennsylvania, and was a consultant for Boston Consulting Group, all before laying down his hit singles. He credits the arts for helping build his intelligence and creativity. He also credits the arts for his job at Boston Consulting, who was seeking highly creative professionals at the time.
- Kerry Washington, one of the other celebrities testifying, was a latchkey kid from the Bronx. She credits NEA-sponsored, pay-what-you-can theatrical performances as her introduction to the arts as a child. Now, she’s starring in Academy Award-winning films. Washington made a terrific point — she said we, including Congress, already know about the economic impact of the arts and that discussing this angle has been done to death. Instead, we should be talking about the feel-good moments we’ve had in the arts — our first experiences, etc. Although I realize these touchy-feely moments don’t always play well with legislators — who like to hear about money and votes — personal anecdotes are always good when advocating for the arts, as it makes an emotional connection. However, as Chairman Dicks put it, the government still wants to find out about their return on investment, and the economic impact studies do help.
- Robert Redford took a different stance. “Art can tell the story,” he said, meaning that the arts can be used to connect different areas and issues, ranging from politics to the environment. Just look at some of the latest documentaries, such as An Inconvenient Truth and Sicko. “There’s nothing out there that didn’t start with a creative idea,” said Redford. Then he went on a tirade about his Sundance Institute, which does exceptional work with arts policy as well as with producing art.
- In every speech, I heard people refer to their teachers — and not just their art teachers — as being the ones who got them interested in the arts, or brought out their creative side. I know we’re pushing for arts funding, but I think arts advocates should also consistently push for educational funding as well. If only teachers were paid as well as professional athletes!!
- The NEA has started to push itself into the public eye more and more — NEA logos have to be displayed for all funded projects, Operation Homecoming became a widely published book and a respected documentary, and they have been featured in frequent radio spots. However, I wonder how much of this is just preaching to the choir. People seeing documentaries, going to artistic events, etc. are most likely already going to be in favor of the NEA. What if the NEA really moved itself into the public eye and produced something on MTV, VH1, or even Fox? Wouldn’t it be great to see an NEA logo on one of those 50 dancing shows on the air — or maybe even on something like American Idol? Maybe we can get a Top Artist show going on Bravo? What are your thoughts? Does that diminish the “A great nation deserves great art” motto that the NEA lives by? What if the show was about arts education? Get Yo-Yo Ma to teach a student orchestra, Annie Liebovitz to lead a photography class, Mikhail Barishnikov to choreograph for a young ballet troupe, Steven Spielberg to work with a group of young filmmakers, Patti LaBelle to conduct a school choir (wait, didn’t she do that already??), and have America vote to see which group gets full college scholarships. Would that be any better? (PS: If someone steals my idea, I’m suing!).
- What separates us from the terrorists? Apparently, as stated by Congressman Jim Moran, the arts. He said that studies have shown that while terrorists are highly educated in math and the sciences, they are devoid of any arts education, which would give them much-needed empathy. Interesting.
- Big shout-outs to Congresswoman Louise Slaughter and Congressman Chris Shays — two of the biggest arts supporters on the Hill. As Congressman Shays put it, “[The arts are] about as spiritual as going to church and have the same impact.” To show them you support their efforts, donate to their campaigns or send them notes through their respective websites!
Now get out there and advocate!
