Considerable debate exists in the US on public funding for the arts. This year s battle over federal funding for the arts began today. Arts advocates from more than 80 organizations gathered in Washington to lobby for preserving federal support for the National Endowment for the Arts.
Advocates say the endowment is crucial for their work through the country.
After a background report, Elizabeth Farnsworth leads a discussion of federal art funding with actor Alec Baldwin, New Orlean's mayor Marc Morial, art historian Alice Goldfarb Marquis and writer William Craig Rice. That is the question. After a backgrounder by Charles Krause, Jim Lehrer leads a debate with members from the House and Senate. Sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts, the 1997 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts has recently been made available on the Web. The survey covers attendance at events in the visual and performing arts, use of broadcast and performance media by patrons of the arts, and the demographics of performers.