In the News

Starving artists

A Boston Globe Editorial April 3, 2004

It's time to rebuild the Massachusetts Cultural Council, which has suffered from severe budget cuts. The council is the state's pipeline for cultural funding.

Funding is only a means to a more vibrant end. Massachusetts should be a state where arts permeate the culture, especially in the schools. Criteria set by the National Standards for Arts Education -- developed by the Consortium of National Arts Education Associations -- suggest that high school students at advanced levels should be able to play instruments, compose songs, choreograph dances, write movie and television scripts, and audition for, cast, and direct plays. Imagine living in a state where public schools produced such industrious teenagers. Their artistic and economic impact could be huge as they filled cultural jobs and audience seats.

Sadly, the weak economy led state leaders to hobble the council. Its budget was cut by 62 percent, dropping from $19 million to $7.3 million from 2002 to 2003. And it was level funded this year. It's a fall from 1998, when the council had $27.4 million.

Because of the cuts, grants have shriveled, hitting Boston institutions hard. The Boston Symphony Orchestra's grant was $45,980; it could have been $121,000 if the council had had its $19 million budget. The Children's Museum received $41,440 instead of $109,060. And Ploughshares, the literary magazine, received $6,770 instead of $17,820. In total, Suffolk County won $1.4 million in grants instead of $3.4 million.

A report released in January compared public appreciation for the performing arts in five cities -- Boston; Austin, Texas; Sarasota, Fla., Minneapolis/St. Paul; and Washington, D.C. -- and found a common trait. People appreciated the value of the arts, but in 2001 less than a third of the respondents made financial donations to arts organizations. Boston and Washington both clocked in at 31 percent, the highest giving participation rates in the study. The research was conducted by the Urban Institute, a Washington think tank.

Massachusetts should buck its own trend and invest wisely. But in his budget for next year, Governor Romney calls for level funding of the council at $7.3 million. The Legislature should do better, substantially increasing the council's budget.

The Massachusetts Advocates for the Arts, Sciences, and Humanities, a local advocacy group, calls for a $10.3 million budget. Of this amount, $3 million would be dedicated to "cultural economic development" -- using arts and culture to generate income through performances, tourism, and other arts events.

Technology makes it seem as if there is always progress. But gadgets mean little unless they are accompanied by the evolution of human creativity. State funding is one way to spread creativity around the state, a boost for the economy and the soul.

New technology makes it seem as if progress is always being made. But computers, software, and other gadgets mean little unless they are accompanied by the evolution of human creativity. Legislators should invest generously in culture and art, knowing they benefit the economy and the soul.

© Copyright 2004 Globe Newspaper Company.

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