Michelle Obama Makes a Case for the Arts
"Nearly 6 million people make their living in the nonprofit arts industry," First Lady Michelle Obama reminded everyone yesterday during her remarks at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, where she cut the ribbon for the re-opening of the American Wing. "Arts and cultural activities," she continued, "contribute more than $160 billion to our economy every year."
Those are big numbers, and it's good to see the First Lady emphasize them. They should make clear to anyone that the arts is as legitimate an industry as any other when it comes to government support in this recession. Those numbers should also make clear that $50 million--the grand total given to the arts out of the $787 billion stimulus package--is nowhere near what the arts industry needs.
I just attended the Business of Art conference, hosted each year by the New York Foundation for the Arts. The focus, of course, was the recession's impact on the art world (spoiler alert: not good). Private donations have plummeted, forcing large umbrella foundations to tighten their belts. This is making it even more difficult than usual for smaller non-profits to raise the money they need for their grants to artists, who in turn are struggling to make anything at all. Meanwhile, every month brings more news of museum layoffs and art-school cutbacks.
Reversing this downward spiral is going to take a whole lot more than President Obama's recent 4% increase of the National Endowment for the Arts' paltry budget (bringing the NEA to 60% of its budget 17 years ago). As Christopher Knight of the L.A. Times explained last week, the NEA will need a fundamental overhaul before it can hope to significantly impact the arts at a national level.
Michelle Obama deserves credit for highlighting the cultural and economic significance of the arts at a time when many worthy causes compete for her attention. Let's hope her husband is listening.
Jonathan Melber is an attorney and co-author, with Heather Darcy Bhandari, of ART/WORK: Everything You Need to Know (And Do) As You Pursue Your Art Career (Free Press), a professional-development guide for visual artists. He and Heather twitter here.
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Michelle Obama is very refreshing. Congratulations on making these issues well known and showing that the arts are in fact a very important aspect of our culture.
I read on another board that Michelle instead of spending her time in her box during intermission she spent it in the offices of the American Ballet talking about what she and others can do for the arts.
I have been playing American roots music for over 30 years, and it is heart breaking how little attention the arts get in this country. I have many friends doing American roots music that make more money in England, France and Germany than right here in the US. I see washed up has been rock bands selling out big stadiums at crazy prices, no talent whores who gyrate half naked selling thousands of seats at $300 a pop. Talented people feel fortunate to get 50 people to pay $15 a seat. This country is a cultural wasteland. Young kids in France know who Reverend Gary Davis was. Kids in England know more about the Miss Delta, than black kids in Detroit. It is sad. Support the arts! It's fun! Bring cookies. I love cookies. Hmmmmm cookies.
It's very encouraging to see an administration focused on the most vital needs....h
President Obama proposes, the Congress disposes. That's the sad truth.
He can only do so much by himself. But one of those things is to have the popular first lady work her magic on behalf of the arts. The more she can get people to think of the arts as something cool and essential, and not just a recreation for "elites", the more Congress will pay attention when it's time to seek voter approval.
Nice to see a story about Michelle Obama that isn't just focused on her looks.
"They should make clear to anyone that the arts is as legitimate an industry as any other..."
I beg to differ. I would say it is the most important industry. I do not seek to minimize science, manufacturing, etc., for they are certainly part of the backbone of the country's infrastructure. But that arts, all of them, capture and record our culture. Without them, our national identity does not exist.
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Michelle Obama deserves credit for highlighting the cultural and economic significance of the arts at a time when many worthy causes compete for her attention. Let's hope her husband is listening.
Why the focus on Obama? What about CONGRESS? They're the ones who sliced and diced the budget.
My philosophy professor once told me that only poverty can produce great art. Just thought I'd throw that out there.
Q2........
Ivory Tower philosophy Prof, protected by his tenure!
About 25 years ago I stopped dating Professors because they were so insulated from life, and reality.
At least the ones I met in the Philly area.
I have been a working artist for at least 50 years.....
Yeh! I went back to college to learn how to apply technology to my classically based painting..
I created from an island of calm I had to build around myself, in protection from alcoholic family members for a lot of my 46 years.....
I just wasted valuable painting time calling the phone company and arranging for an extension before they turn off the phone and I have to file for another hardship deferrment on my student loan. Otherwise.
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