Author: Backas, James J.

Publication Year: 1979

Media Type: Report

Summary:

This background paper, prepared for the National Partnership meeting, sponsored by National Endowment for the Arts, National Assembly of State Arts Agencies and National Assembly of Community Arts Agencies and held June 23-25, 1980, Marvin Center, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, deals with the concerns of state arts agencies in areas of shared responsibility with the federal and local arts agencies and identifies issues that are important to all three types of agencies in the 1980's.

Abstract:

This background paper, prepared for the National Partnership meeting, sponsored by National Endowment for the Arts, National Assembly of State Arts Agencies and National Assembly of Community Arts Agencies and held June 23-25, 1980, Marvin Center, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, deals with the concerns of state arts agencies in areas of shared responsibility with the federal and local arts agencies and identifies issues that are important to all three types of agencies in the 1980's.

The State Arts Council Movement traces the development of State Arts Agencies over the past fifteen years, concentrating on areas of shared responsibility between the federal and state agencies, e.g. grants to individual artists, established arts institutions, small and developing arts groups, and local arts agencies and other arts-sponsoring organizations. The State Arts Council movement identifies seven major trends in the development of state arts agencies, among them a marked increase in funding over the last five years to established arts institutions, individual artists, and local arts agencies; a sharper focus on state and regional needs; a greater emphasis on touring; a growing involvement in the political and legislative process; and a greatly improved management capability. The author identifies three major issues for state arts agencies in the eighties: the controversy over quality in arts funding; an increased awareness of the need to evaluate their own programs and to prepare for a decade of more stringent accountability to legislators and budget officials; and the value of decentralizing some aspects of grantmaking to the local level. (p. 1,2)

CONTENTS
Introduction.

Part I. History and development of state arts agencies.

A. Early years: responsibilities, motivations, and necessities.
B. Client groups.
    1. Individual artists.
    2. Established institutions.
    3. Small and developing arts producers.
    4. Local arts agencies and other arts sponsors.

Part II. State arts agency trends.

Part III. State arts agency issues.

A. The controversy over quality.
B. Evaluation and accountability.
C. Decentralization.

State arts agencies included in the survey.

Arts & Intersections:

Categories: Funding