Here, There: In U.S., NEA struggles to make the case for public funding

Here, There: In U.S., NEA struggles to make the case for public funding
Chairman Rocco Landesman speaks at the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master Awards Ceremony and Concert. AP/Charles Sykes
Here, There: In U.S., NEA struggles to make the case for public funding
Chairman Rocco Landesman speaks at the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master Awards Ceremony and Concert. AP/Charles Sykes

Here, There: In U.S., NEA struggles to make the case for public funding

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In the U.S., the value of the National Endowment for the Arts can vary wildly, depending on who you ask. Some believe government funding for the arts is wasteful and that the value of art should be determined by the market; others think it’s at the core of healthy civil society.

To help us understand the American model, we talk to artist, author and filmmaker Brian O’Doherty.  Brian was a program director at the NEA soon after its formation in the 1960s.