The Public Life Of The Arts In America

"An important and unique contribution to the literature on the arts in America . . . one that will stand tall on the shelves for quite a few years to come." --Milton C. Cummings Jr., author of The Patron State: Government and the Arts in Europe, North America, and Japan Art and entertainment constitute America's second-largest export. Most Americans--96 percent, to be exact--are somehow involved in the arts, whether as audience participants, hobbyists, or via broadcast, recording, video, or the Internet. The contribution of the arts to the U.S. economy is stunning: the nonprofit arts industry alone contributes over 857 billion dollars per year, and American artists enjoy world-class status. Despite its size, quality, and economic impact, the arts community is not articulate about how to serve the public interest, and few citizens have an appreciation of the may public policies that influence American arts and culture. The contributors to this volume argue that U.S. policy does and should continue to support th arts; as they serve a broad, not merely an elite, public. Support for the arts and culture is good economic and trade policy and contributes to the quality of life and community, while it sustains the creativity of American artists and organizations. Joni M. Cherbo is an arts sociologist. She has coauthored American Participation in Opera and Musical Theater and Outsider Art: Contesting Boundaries in Contemporary Culture. Margaret J. Wyszomirski is director of the arts policy and administration program at the Ohio State University. She is coeditor and contributor to Arts, Ideology, and Politics and America's Commitment to Culture: Government and the Arts.