A Diplomatic Gap

“U.S. Diplomacy Gets a Little Help From Artists” (Diane Haithman, Sept. 13) belies the much greater problem, which is that artists get no help from the government.

While the U.S. Department of State’s Art in Embassies Program is a viable and worthwhile effort, the weak link in its chain is the complete absence of funds for paying an honorarium to the artists whose work is so honored. This gap reflects the notion that artists have no need of financial support for their careers, and that recognition is an adequate substitute for the monetary return that every other hard-working professional in America expects for their work.

ELIZABETH GILL LUI

Los Angeles