On the surface, this may spell temporary good news for nonprofit arts organizations hit hard by government cutbacks in support. However, the long-term picture may be quite different. This aspect of human behavior may not be as easy to predict. The most important influence on philanthropy, according to Chronicle , is an American belief that giving is good. Giving to the arts, however, may be the preferred avenue.
Arts patronage is often the extension of a genuine and passionate interest in the art itself.
It may be wise for those assuming that individuals or the private sector will pick up the slack in arts support, to look at who gives and why they are interested in giving in the first place. Ronnie Heyman is a real live arts patron. A principal of Heyman Properties, a real estate development firm based in Connecticut, she is also a member of the National Council on the Arts , the Presidentially-appointed advisory council of the National Endowment for the Arts. Born in New York City, she and her husband Samuel, have been avid art collectors for almost three decades. Together, they have developed an extensive collection of postwar American and European painting, sculpture, and photography.