But this kind of support for the arts is crucial to jump start many programs. I come from the small-press poetry world. The NEA's grants to publishers in the 1970s and '80s were very helpful in getting many books published that I think will turn out to be some of the most interesting American poetry of the second half of the century. The NEA is a very valuable resource, though far from perfect. When art is politicized, a funny kind of standoff occurs.
Some artists think that art is direct political action.
Some conservative senators also think that art is highly political and grant it tremendous power that it doesn't actually have. The issues are complicated and call for a great deal of tact in communication. But they get handled by frontal assault. And in these battles, many art communities get squashed. What is most interesting about art is that it sends very complex messages.