I am a Canadian arts fundraiser. I cannot speak to the NEA specifically, because I don't know enough about what and how they fund things. Obviously though, the idea of arts funding is pretty close to my heart and I am a strong believer in government support of the arts.
The fact is, whether you are in Canada or the US, there simply is not ENOUGH private sector money to support everything. I believe it should be a partnership betw. the Gov't and the Private Sector.
I too, refuse to donate to health or education because EVERYONE does. With the exception of the WWF, Amnesty and the Humane Society, I give exclusively to arts. However, people like me and U2fan101 are few and far between.
Governments should support what is best for the population at large. Arts make life worth living. What is the point of having education and health if there is no quality of life? If you go day by day through life getting up, going to work and going to bed again??? Art is in our very souls. You can't throw the baby out with the bathwater just because you find one or two artworks offensive!
80s, if I were an American tax payer, I would have NO PROBLEM being "forced" to pay for your play. I think paying for art is money much better spent than half the other crap our tax dollars are wasted on. Plus, if you find one or two things offensive, just think that your money went to pay for the arts that you DO enjoy.
Then we go to the economic argument. By funding arts organizations, there is a HUGE ecomomic impact to the rest of the community. Ballet company A gets government money and stays afloat. Private donations enable them to have reasonably affordable ticket prices. The tourists (and locals) attend the theatre. They go to a restaurant for dinner. Pay for parking. Buy something at the shop. Buy the video and the CD. Pay the taxi or public transit. All of these other industries pay taxes and so on and so on. Arts generate BILLIONS of dollars that go back into the economy...far more than are taken out to fund them in the first place. It is a HUUUUUGE return on investment.
Even if you have a piece of art in a museum that you think is crappy, if it's controversial, no doubt ppl will come to your town from far and wide to see it. If YOU think it's offensive, don't GO!
Arts are JUST as important as everything else. They are NOT a frill, they are what life is all about.
I will close with one final example. In Toronto we have a company called Opera Atelier. It is a tiny opera company that does purely Baroque operas. It was founded by this pair of dancers with no money. They got funding from all levels of Gov't. Through the quality of their work and their passion for what they do, they have gone on to travel internationally and build up a stellar reputation. They have also had a school in inner city Toronto with many students who attend for free.
Many of these students, who otherwise would NEVER have had an opportunity to get involved with arts are now in University studying music, performing with companies or....actually arts lovers who have richer lives because of having the OPPORTUNITY to experience it. Opportunity that I GUARANTEE you would not be there without Gov't funding.
Philanthropists don't just materialize out of nowhere, and believe me, I know wherof I speak. Philanthropists first of all have to know you exist, and then they have to be cultivated for YEARS AND YEARS. They don't just say "oh! Here's a cheque to cover your annual operations forever. bye now!". It's grants from Government that get companies like Opera Atelier and individuals the chance they need to be exposed to philanthropists (of which there really aren't that many in the arts world...certainly not enough to go around) and then MAYBE if you're lucky, you will have a philanthropist who will provide you with money to buy a building, or create a work. You still need to keep afloat while all that is going on. You have to pay the rent on your studio...keep the lights on so to speak.
I think it's time tax money went to build things that last a lifetime. Things that will inspire future generations. Arts inspire not just artists, but scientists and regular people too. The correlation between arts and achievement in education is known by everyone. Why this year, the National Ballet School Graduating class got honours (over 80% in at least 6 subjects) this year. This was achieved on top of hours of dance classes. The ENTIRE class got honours. This is because they have the discipline and have reaped the benefits of arts exposure. In fact, recent grads of the School who could no longer dance, got accepted into med school and law school solely on the basis that they are NBS grads.
Oh, and yeah...NBS has government funding. We could not exist without it.
Melon is so right. Just for one tiny example, why do you remember Louis XIV? Because he was the Sun King....founder of ballet in fact. Versailles! You remember countries for their arts and literature....at the very least you admire them for that. No one admires Atilla the Hun.
OK, enough rambling from me. This topic gets me very exercised.