End of Arts Grants Will Cut Kids’ Dreams

Allow me to offer another view regarding Anthony Friedkin’s comments on the National Endowment for the Arts’ decision to stop funding individual grants for the visual arts (“Cutting NEA Grants Makes No Sense,” Calendar, Nov. 13).

When funding for the arts is cut, the dreams and hopes, and perhaps the chance to break the poverty cycle, are also cut for many poor children. In Southern California, there are many groups that provide materials and caring art teachers to open the world of children whose only thought may be, “Where will I sleep tonight?”

Heart of Los Angeles, or HOLA, was founded in 1988 by Mitchel Moore. HOLA provides an alternative to the streets and gang life for 600 children living in downtown Los Angeles and Hollywood. I watched a group from HOLA perform a play written by a former gang member who will spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair because of a gang-related shooting. HOLA has provided this young man an opportunity to begin his life again.

Art Pals--co-sponsored by the National Council of Jewish Women, Los Angeles; the Los Angeles Unified School District; and the Museum of Contemporary Art--provides students from diverse backgrounds an opportunity to improve self-esteem and thinking skills while sharing art experiences with other children. Art Pals supplements the shrinking arts program in the public schools.

My connection to at-risk children and the arts is through Photo Outreach. Photo Outreach exists because of funding from the city of Los Angeles’ Cultural Affairs Department. Photo Outreach provides children living at Gramercy Place Shelter in Los Angeles an opportunity to learn the basics of photography while documenting their lives in the homeless shelter.

I, along with three other photographers, have witnessed children take pride in their newfound artistic abilities while learning the responsibilities of using a camera.

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Charles, a 12-year-old, has shown a keen interest in photography. He has the potential to become a professional photographer. He is the first child down on Saturday morning and the last to leave. Charles has moved with his mother to his own apartment, yet he takes the bus back to the shelter to participate in the program. Charles’ mother has asked me what kind of education Charles needs to have a career in photography.

HOLA, Art Pals and Photo Outreach can function because of arts funding. Funding for the arts opens possibilities to succeed for Charles and children like him.

Funding for Photo Outreach is extremely limited. I spend 75% of my time with this program not working with the children but networking and looking for funding. If funding is no longer available, I will move on with my life. My main concern is, what will happen to Charles and how easy will it be for him to move on?