Author: National Committee for Cultural Resources

Publication Year: 1974

Media Type: Report

Summary:

This is a research report on the economic and social importance of arts organizations and their activities in the , with recommendations for a national policy of public and private support. The National Committee for Cultural Resources was formed by people who believe that realistic planning is essential to the health and quality of arts organizations, now and in the future. Its members are representative of all sections of the nation and the whole range of the arts, both visual and performing. They include leaders of arts organizations, business, labor, state arts agencies, city governments, community arts and education.

Abstract:

This is a research report on the economic and social importance of arts organizations and their activities in the , with recommendations for a national policy of public and private support. The National Committee for Cultural Resources was formed by people who believe that realistic planning is essential to the health and quality of arts organizations, now and in the future. Its members are representative of all sections of the nation and the whole range of the arts, both visual and performing. They include leaders of arts organizations, business, labor, state arts agencies, city governments, community arts and education. The Committee's advisers, who have helped in preparing this report, are drawn from national foundations and leaders of national associations of arts agencies.

The Committee believes that the community of non-profit arts organizations in this country must work together to develop nd implement a common national policy of support. To that end, it has: Studied a broad group of arts organizations throughout the country to ascertain the current problems and needs of arts organizations on a broad regional basis; Commissioned a public opinion survey by the National Research Center of the Arts, an affiliate of Louis Harris and Associates to measure the attitudes of the American people toward the arts; Commissioned a study on the concept of an essential service budget as a tool for sounder economic planning by arts organizations; Examined existing publications, studies and articles on the arts, in order to correlate evidence of the economic and community impact of the arts.

This report presents the Committee's findings, and its analysis of those findings. It proposes an integrated program of private and government support, designed to counter the serious prospect of a widespread curtailment of present services, and to assure the vitality and continued growth of America's arts organizations in the years ahead, for the benefit of the American people. The report is concerned with non-profit organizations of the live visual and performing arts, and others such as community arts councils, arts associations, and arts and crafts guilds.

The report does not deal with the problems of the individual artist, important as these are. It does not touch upon the arts in the context of the electronic media. It does not deal with the humanities as such, although the humanities are closely associated with the arts and contribute substantially to them. The report focuses on the arts organizations, because NCCR believes that these are the spine of the arts in this country, and that their good health is central to that of every other artistic activity. (p. 9-10).

CONTENTS
  1. Introduction.
  2. The rising interest in the arts.
  3. NCCR's nationwide look at the arts.
  4. A growth industry - and how it has grown.
  5. The attitude of Americans toward the Arts.
  6. The arts and the national economy.
  7. Why is there cause for concern?
  8. The loss to the public.
  9. The case for government aid.
10. What must be done.

Appendix:
     1. Methodology of the nationwide study.
     2. Selected bibliography.

Arts & Intersections:

Categories: Fundraising