Political Quotes

“this year marks the 30 year anniversary of the establishment of the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities. In 1965 Senator Jacob Javits and I sponsored this legislation to foster the development of excellence in American art and culture. After a long and distinguished history of nurturing the arts in our Nation, the National Endowment for the Arts has in recent years become the subject of some controversy concerning the funding of certain works which many of our citizens consider offensive. In light of this, I would like to explain why I believe that the National Endowment for the Arts has been a tremendous boon to our Nation and should continue as a viable entity for the support of American culture. Our Nation's Arts Endowment provides critical assistance for cultural works and presentations in music, theater, literature, dance, design arts, and folk arts around the country. This year, in my own State of Rhode Island, the Endowment provided funds to renovate painting and sculpture facilities in the Museum of Art at the Rhode Island School of Design, supported an after-school arts education program for minority neighborhood youth in the fourth and fifth grades, and funded the Trinity Repertory Theater, one of the Nation's premier theaters. In other areas, the NEA funded a Music in our Schools program in Providence and aided a folk arts apprenticeship program. Without this funding, Mr. President, many of these programs would simply not exist.…”