States spending less on the arts
State governments have cut their spending on the arts an average 21% over the last two years, and even greater cuts are expected next year, says the new chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts.
NEA Chairman Dana Gioia told reporters in Washington Monday that although no state has eliminated arts budgeting, “the mere debate suggests that the political and social consensus that once existed on the necessity of public support for the arts and arts education is breaking down.”
According to the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, spending by the states this year will total $354.9 million, down from $446.8 million in 2001.
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