Author: Citizens Union

Publication Year: 1975

Media Type: Report

Summary:

The issue today, certainly for the municipal government, is survival. The state government faces many of the same problems as the city despite its broader tax base. Public subsidies for the arts, however manifested, at best will hold steady relative to other revenue sources. There is little likelihood of greater local or state tax levy support for broad expansion of the arts.

Abstract:

The issue today, certainly for the municipal government, is survival. The state government faces many of the same problems as the city despite its broader tax base. Public subsidies for the arts, however manifested, at best will hold steady relative to other revenue sources. There is little likelihood of greater local or state tax levy support for broad expansion of the arts. Massive doses of additional federal aid are unlikely. To be sure, we can catalog and rationalize desired investment levels by the patrons and consumers of the world of culture, by governments, and by private enterprise and philanthropy. But the public cupboard is bare. Despite this woeful scene, it is essential that the cultural economy and functions flourish, for it is in these arenas of public and private activity that New York City displays a unique and unmatched asset.

Overall, there are eight areas in which the Citizens Union feels action should be taken, both of an immediate and intermediate nature.

1. Support to assure creative functioning of the new Department of Cultural Affairs.
   
   
2. On a long term basis and as the fiscal condition permits, the city and the state should increase their level of funding for the arts.
   
   
3. An improved process for ordering priorities is needed.
   
   
4. Uniform accountability requirements should be encouraged, as well as uniform fiscal reporting systems, to the extent feasible, as indispensable quid pro quos of continued governmental and foundation financial support for the arts, with appropriate technical assistance to meet such requirements, and respect for the practical problems of institutional autonomy.
   
   
5. We favor consideration and study of federal legislation to create a national cultural institutions act to complement the work of the National Endowments.
   
   
6. A singular educational gap exists in the immense wealth of cultural facilities in this city: the absence of a major center of museum of science and technology.
   
   
7. Greater sustained attention should be given to upgrading locally-based cultural institutions and services, for instance the Harlem Studio Museum, the Brooklyn Children's Museum, and the excellent programs of the borough arts councils.
   
   
8. As a complement to efforts toward maximizing consumer enjoyment of the cultural resources of the city, greater use should be made of existing physical facilities.

Arts & Intersections:

Categories: Funding