Role of Arts in America - Research Paper Example

Role of Arts in America Introduction “A great nation deserves great art” is something that National Endowment for Arts (NEA) proclaims. (NEA, 2003). But does that slogan means to its true selves? When other nations are funding arts at national level, are we fair enough to consider arts as an unproductive arena. Art is a means to document and preserve our culture, heritage and also present a platform to showcase our past, present and future. American art which has now spanned about over three centuries is still struggling hard to regain its identity. The period between1830 to 1865 marked the beginning of changes in American arts. This was the period when American critics started debating on cultural shortcomings, needs and the effect of arts and literature on American society. There was much to learn from European countries. Over the period of time, American art was refined considering the likings of unreceptive American audiences. The aim was to popularize arts and literature. Art and artists are born and not created. This quality makes art a precious gift to us which needs to be preserved for future generations. The recent downtrend in the world’s economy led to a decrease in the number of people opting for the field of arts. Role of Art in American culture Art being a path to articulate culture has no future without its value being valued. American culture is greatly influenced by European and British culture, so is its art. American culture has variant flavors because of its geographical scale and demographics. And, the only thing that unites them is arts. The popular cultural elements of America are now spread across the globe because of various art forms such as paintings, movies, music, sports etc., which would have rather remained exclusive. Arts form a part of American society and more than 5 million people are engaged in the field of arts. Arts at American University Campuses and Museums University of south California (USC) is one of the research institutes in which America depends for its innovation in arts and technology. The premier institutes like USC and many others provide a lot of opportunity to educate and preserve various art forms by its premier offerings of well-designed courses. This campus is also a one stop point for various art museums like the fisher museum of art etc. These institutes also promote various arts groups in the fields of cinematic arts, fine arts, music etc. (Camp, 2005). The institutes like Center for Performing Arts (CPA) has built dedicated communities to workshop practice and teach various art crafts so as to grow creative process. They provide various avenues to showcase arts, blogs and groups to common man. They also provide interactions with various creative artists. (Camp, 2005). The Palmer Museum of art in University Park campus is an art resource offering various travelling exhibitions and provides display of permanent art collections. This museum is free for more than 1500 students and faculties of universities and art communities. (Penn State, 2009).The museum’s permanent collection showcases world cultures from various times. The museum also preserves American paintings, sculptures and paper works from eighteenth century and hosts educational events, lectures by national and international artists and scholars. The museum funding is usually earned from private donors, universities and students. There are various courses designed for integrative arts. One such program is INART005. This is one of the very popular courses among the students. This course in collaboration with CPA requires students to attend five performances at CPA thereby increasing the number of student tickets sold per year at CPA and substantial increase in number of audiences. Thus such course generates revenue for integrative arts which is further used to support and improvise arts in America. Governments Role Federal government has supported arts by providing copyrights to artist’s creation so as to retain their financial interest. This will also encourage them to create more assets in nation’s interest. The government has also provided tax deductions for nonprofit charitable institutions, museums and many other artistic organizations. Since 1965 US governments funding to arts has been through NEA though the funding has been minimal. This is quite evident from shut down of Milwaukee Shakespeare Theater Company and pay cuts at Virginia symphony orchestra. There have been a lot of criticisms on NEA over times. Some people argue that governments funding is unjustified and others want to safeguard cultural policies from federal bureaucracy. The fact is people don’t want political control on arts and culture. (Camp, 2005). People like Ivey suggest that the amount allotted must be capitalized in an effective manner. Also, the government’s allocation of a budget of $145 million each year can be used for improvement in the field of arts. Other countries like England came out with an idea of investing £1.1 billion to improve the country’s arts council. In the same way Canada too opted plans of helping the people involved in arts. Conclusion Americans have always loved theaters and art. It has always been a part of American culture. This country with such diverse culture has immense potential to excel in it. Federal government should find out more ways to nurture arts and spread awareness to attract more and more people to indulge in this profession. Yes, engineering and science are not the only arenas. Arts and humanities have equally important scope and career prospects. A little more funding from the economic package can certainly encourage masses to think positively and progress towards developing arts. Federal government should target freedom of artistic expression through excellence. Another important factor is to manage funds so as to achieve maximum benefit. The funds routed through NEA should be reviewed and recommended before funds are actually granted. Simplifying NEA’s complex organizational structure will definitely ensure good decision making in granting proposals. Large public involvement in the areas of arts can protect artists from political views of federal bureaucrats. This would ensure that the funds are streamlined in a righteous manner and questions regarding survival of arts in America would be a thing of the past. References NEA.(2003). National Endowment for the Arts kicks Off Largest Tour of Shakespeare. Retrieved from http://www.nea.gov/national/shakespeare/NewLondon.html Camp, J. (2005). Government Support for the Arts: Before the NEA. Retrieved October 28, 2010, from Freedom of Expression website: http://www.csulb.edu/~jvancamp/freedom2.html Meservey, A. (1978). The Role of Art in American Life: Critics Views on Native Art and Lietrature, 1830-1865. Jstor database, 10(1), 72-89. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/pss/1594110 Penn State. (2009). Palmer Museum of Art. Retrieved from http://www.palmermuseum.psu.edu/about.html Read More