Community Government Funding Essay

The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency that offers funding to artistic excellence (“National Endowment for the Arts”). This agency is important to the nation due to the absence of art appreciation taught in public schools. Art is a form of literature and is essential for children as well as adults. It is currently government funded, and for the interest of the people it should continue to be that way. The NEA influences what art is shown to the people of a community. It is the responsibility of the NEA to display artwork that positively impacts the nation. Government funding of the NEA shows a positive message of philanthropy to the public and today’s youth. The government funds help promote freedom of expression, a community

Society should be given the right to choose whether or not they want to view a certain kind of art. “When ordinary people decide they don’t like such a painting they stay away or turn away” (“Source B”). It is the people’s choice to see what they want, and the government funding should not interfere with that. “…freedom of expression would be rendered meaningless” (“Source C”). If government funding was decided by people outside the community it would be unfair to those actually viewing the art. The funding of the NEA should continue from the government because it lets the people decide among themselves what they prefer to see. When the public gets to choose what they want to see, it creates a more united community. “… By the people who are now free to decide...” (“Source E”) The NEA owes it to the arts community to let them decide what art is displayed. “The NEA may have intended to placate a disgruntled arts community” (“Source C”). The arts community was disgruntled because they are not given a say in how they are being represented. It is the responsibility of the community, not the NEA, to decide what art is appropriate for their community; and funding from the government should not affect the people’s