Washington Post
Rocco Landesman, the Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, has been touring the country exploring the state of the arts across the national. Since he announced an Art Works Tour in October, Landesman has traveled to 13 cities. His message, whether talking to artists or businessmen or donors, he said, is that “art jobs are real jobs that are part of the real economy.” The travels have helped him build a clear picture of the needs of the arts infrastructure to take back to Congress, which controls the purse strings of the NEA. The agency is the largest funder of the arts in the country. Its federal appropriation this year is $167.5 million, compared with $155 million last year. The White House is asking Congress for $161.3 million for next year. The whistle-stop tour, he said, has been “hugely helpful for shaping my thinking and widening my reference points.” To read the full article, follow the above link.