I’ve lost the link to this story, but I don’t think it needs much backing up.
Lotsa money is to be cut from the budget for the National Endowment for the Arts and funneled to applicants whose work is deemed “patriotic.” President Trump wants to use the money to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary.
The artsy-fartsy libs don’t like it. They are highly ticked off.
Wait a minute. Where does this money come from, anyway? Do people work for it? Does the money come out of their taxes?
So here’s the thing with these libs. They’ve got one hand held out for dollops of public money, while at the same time making obscene gestures with the other hand. Not exactly what you’d call grateful, is it? They truly seem to have an aversion to America… so why should America pay their way? Why should we pay them to despise us?
I can’t wait to see the answers.
[Note: It is pure coincidence that the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Education Assn. have the same initials. So does Not Exactly Admirable,]
Arts are a continuous problem. It comes down to supply and demand. There are positions for commercial artists; virtually every packaged product has artwork, and that artwork had better be effective and well crafted, but for every full time artist, there are many who are flipping burgers or ringing up junk food purchases at a gas station.
I don’t blame artists for seeking funding, but then again, why should the public be on the hook. When I played music for money, it wasn’t taxpayer funded and my income was linked to my ability to attract and sustain an audience. Some gigs were better than others, but I never expected John Q. Public to take up the slack. I did other things to get me through the lean times, from handyman work to performing a tuneup for a friend who saved some money by using me, instead of the dealer.
One of the greatest Jazz guitarists of the postwar era was Tal (Talmadge) Farlow. He recorded albums, played concerts as the star attraction and worked with other well known acts. There was a Tal Farlow model Gibson guitar, which went for a pretty penny. He also worked, ironically enough in the context of this post, as a sign painter.
Yes, it was entirely feasible that if you were in northeastern New Jersey and hired a sign painter, the fellow doing the work might also have an album or two in your record collection. No kiddin’.
By all measures, he had “made it” in the music business, but he stayed rooted to a skilled trade, as well. I see him as a hero, because he found a perfect way to balance his talents and abilities. His day job was not damaging to his hands, and allowed a degree of flexibility so that he could do his music work as well. Imagine hiring a sign painter and having him say, I can’t do it this Friday because I’m playing a concert in Manhattan, at Town Hall that night, but I can be there bright and early on Monday. 🙂
I have compassion for artists. Artistic ability can be a mixed blessing, with a strong compulsion to follow one’s art which makes it difficult to do other work. I know, because I’ve lived it, myself. But the reality is that artistic pursuits frequently do not provide a steady income. You can make a lot of short term money, but the gaps between opportunities can be torturous, and the financial equivalent of a famine.
Even teaching the arts is only a partial solution, because there are only so many teaching slots out there. What I wish for every talented artist is the opportunity to work their art, but also a flexible source of work for the lean times.
But there’s one more thing, and that is relevance. The 25th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence is coming up fast, and we should celebrate. If artists want to feed from the public trough, they shouldn’t be surprised that they are expected to respect the values of the nation paying their way.
I’m not a conspicuous patriot, waving flags and drawing attention to my patriotism, but I do believe that the United States is a nation exceptional for its freedoms, and most importantly the freedom to worship as imsee fit. While I am disappointed by some of the social developments in this nation, I still believe that the US is the best place to live, and I believe that our Creator has blessed us.
My eldest uncle, a veteran of WW II would always thank God that we lived in the US when he prayed before a meal. As an adult, I am in awe of this. His father had left behind a privileged position in the Old Country, and came to the US, working as a laborer, because he wanted a better life for his descendants. Hey, that includes yours truly! I’m here because a lot of people in Europe, Scandinavia, and the British Isles made sacrifices to come to this land of opportunity, in at least one case, going back to the 17th century, when life in North America was an existence of rugged survival.
So hell yes, I love this nation, even though it has an imperfect history, and hell yes, I want to see art that reflects appreciation for the good of this nation. Why shouldn’t I, and more importantly, why shouldn’t the the public largesse given to the arts be directed to artists who are willing to see the immense good of our nation, and honor it with their art?
I held a lot of low-prestige jobs while trying to get my writing published. Just to name a few: newspaper editor, reporter, liquidator, substitute teacher, Humphrey’s Hamburgers… I can’t remember all of them. I thank God I finally wound up with Chalcedon.
The Progressives are abominable people – not a drop of patriotism in their blood.