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Seriously, why are scientists so much better at getting funding for their esoteric, abstract research projects than artists are?

Why subsidize artists when we can subsidize insurance companies? Why subsidize museums when we can subsidize oil companies? Why subsidize art that we don't need when we can subsidize growing corn that we don't need?

Thanks #4! Just as I was saying...

Though I think NYC attracts the 'best of the best' re: any field, sometimes the downside of trying to be an artist in this city is that the 'richest of the richest' prosper, and those who can't afford to be artists must fumble around a little more and make tough decisions re: making a living vrs. compromising their artistic integrity. A great article in the Times about 4 years ago made an excellent point that it's actually the actors themselves who subsidize the American theatre by accepting low salaries, using credit cards, working terrible survival jobs un order to make a living. The article pointed out that though staff has grown at many theatres, actors salaries haven't increased much.

Arts are important, like education and public transportation. That's why Republicans keep cutting the funding for them. They'd rather spend trillions blowing up Iraq. Artists, to Republicans, are like immigrants: they're just there to take the blame for all the problems that Republicans caused.

Norma Munn? Really? How about getting some new voices on the show, Brian? You cannot ask for pledges telling us how you're all thinking outside the box, and then just have the same old voices speaking to this topic. Talk about creaky.

Sadly, NYC cannot really be the cultural capital of the world, when the cost of living - as well as performance/gallery space, and studio space - is so high. The vibrancy of the arts scene here is diminished because such a steep profit must be made in order to sustain their creation.

A recent posting on on classsizematters.org reported that since Bloomberg/Klein eliminated dedicated funding for arts programs in New York City schools in favor of block allocations to schools, 30 % of these schools do not have a certified arts teacher.

Education funding may not have been cut, but the emphasis on teach to the test reading and math have been at the expense of art education, as well as other subjects.

I'm a born and raised nyer and have never thought of NYC as the world center of the arts. It might be one of them but not THE CENTER. There is no CENTER there are loci if we must be clinical about it.

fyi
NYC study links arts, high school graduation :
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/19/arts/19arts-ARTSEDUCATIO_BRF.html