a question about art funding

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according to artnet.com, the nea funding is at 121.1 million and the smithosionan is at 651 milllion and the National Gallery of Art is at 94 million

can anyone explain why this is ? (ie why the money for two institutions is 7 times that of arts funding for the entire nation ?)

― anthony, Tuesday, 8 February 2005 23:56 (twenty-one years ago)

But how much is the National Gallery spending on defense?

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 8 February 2005 23:59 (twenty-one years ago)

because the NEA gives money for things like Sesame Street which promotes communist ideas like "sharing" and the Smithsonian puts on uncontroversial exhibitions like "The Price of Freedom: Americans at War"

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 00:23 (twenty-one years ago)

i was expecting that answer...can we discuss arts funding in general now.

― anthony, Wednesday, 9 February 2005 00:29 (twenty-one years ago)

you mean without the politics?

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 00:30 (twenty-one years ago)

Because the NEA doesn't fund art for the entire nation and it costs a lot to run the Smithsonian (which surely must be in the running for largest museum in the world based on space and holdings)?

(Not to say the NEA shouldn't be more active in funding the arts, but that's not how the American model has ever worked.)

― milozauckerman (miloaukerman), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 00:54 (twenty-one years ago)

how does the nea work then

― anthony, Wednesday, 9 February 2005 01:05 (twenty-one years ago)

considering the NEA is run by dana gioia, im surprised they dont recieve more funding.

― maria tessa sciarrino (theoreticalgirl), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 04:18 (twenty-one years ago)

which surely must be in the running for largest museum in the world based on space and holdings

the entire smithsonian is a lot more than just the air and space museum, and isn't all just in d.c. plus, y'know, they got that cool magazine.

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 08:59 (twenty-one years ago)

does this include folk ways, what else is outside the dc area, how does nea work, who is goria,

― anthony, Wednesday, 9 February 2005 10:40 (twenty-one years ago)

The NEA accounts for about half of federal arts funding, there are other councils and appropriations. But overall arts funding from the feds is only like 2% of total funding. Most comes privately, of course, and then at the state and local level (cities, states, public universities, public subsidies for museums, etc.). Worrying about the NEA is kind of a dead end for progressives - it's never going to get any larger and it will never sponsor meaningful work.

(there's a hilarious document on the NEA website that covers the funding breakdown in more detail, it all but calls Europeans a bunch of Stalinists for their centralized bureaucratic 'ministries of culture' based purely on political appointment, etc.)

― milozauckerman (miloaukerman), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 19:00 (twenty-one years ago)

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