NEA CHAIR EXPRESSES VISION
FOR THE AGENCY

In December, the United States Senate voted unanimously to confirm Michael Hammond Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. Since confirmation hearings were not held, Hammond was asked to respond in writing to 10 questions. Following are excerpts from this document.

Do you support the mission of the National Endowment for the Arts and believe that there is a federal role in support of the arts?
Yes. The Arts Endowment¹s mandate is to provide national recognition and support to significant projects of artistic excellence, thus preserving and enhancing our nation¹s diverse cultural heritage. This is a noble and essential national goal and I embrace it completely. I believe there are important aspects of this task that can best be performed at the federal level.

Due to budget cuts and the impact of inflation, the NEA¹s spending power has been dramatically reduced. How do you view the current funding? Will you advocate for higher spending levels for the agency?
Although the Endowment¹s financial resources are limited, it has a national voice that I believe should articulate clearly and strongly the importance of the arts in enriching the lives and shaping the aesthetic taste of all Americans. It is now more important than ever that the Endowment make performances and presentations of the highest artistic quality accessible to our urban, rural and suburban communities. The Endowment¹s financial capability is important both for the direct project grants it makes and for the matching money grants generated from other sources. I would advocate for spending levels that are more adequate in fulfilling the full gamut of the Endowment's goals.

Do you have any thoughts about ways the agency can develop or initiate programs for young children and the arts?
I will explore how the agency can provide national leadership in promoting such hands-on educational programs in the arts for children from preschool through high school. The country has vast educational resources for this undertaking. These need to be surveyed, documented and enhanced. The state arts agencies also contribute very significantly to educational efforts in the arts, as do a number of private organizations and programs. The Endowment can advocate and promote models for cooperation among these groups and incentives for imaginative action.

For a full transcript, call Gregg Dodd at 614/466-2613 or e-mail
gregg.dodd@oac.state.oh.us.

artsPerspective
Published by the Ohio Arts Council

This newsletter aims to keep Ohio's decision makers informed about the work of the state's arts agency. We'd like this to be a two-way street. If you have comments about the OAC's involvement in your district or area of expertise please send them to Katie Popoff at the address below. Thanks for reading.

Gregg Dodd, Public Information Director
Katie Popoff, Publications Editor
Jen Poellot, Coordinator
We're Building Ohio 
Through the Arts

The Ohio Arts Council, a state
agency established in 1965, builds
the state through the arts -
economically and culturally -
preserving the past, enhancing the
present and enriching the future for
all Ohioans. The Council believes
the arts should be shared by the
people of Ohio. The arts arise from
public, individual and organizational
efforts. The OAC supports those
efforts.

The Ohio Arts Council is an equal opportunity employer.

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Bob Taft
Governor

Susan R. Sofia
OAC Board Chair

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Executive Director


With support from the National
Endowment for the Arts.