Political Quotes

“30 years ago today, on September 29, 1965, President Johnson signed the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act into law. This historic act created the the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities and ushered in a new era in the cultural life of America. For most of our Nation's history, one would have to travel to the largest cities in order to see and experience great art. But today, thanks in large part to the 100,000 grants made by the National Endowment for the Arts, culture and art are thriving in every corner of America. The statistics speak for themselves: in 1965 there were only 58 orchestras in the country; today there are over 1,000. Prior to the NEA there were 37 professional dance companies in America; now there are 300. In 1965, there were five State arts agencies; today, every State has a public arts agency and there are community arts agencies in over 3,800 cities, counties and towns. Perhaps most impressive of all has been the increase in the number of people attending the theater; before 1965 only 1 million people attended the theater each year, today over 55 million attend annually.”