1. Introduction
2. Policy 101
3. Lessons from History: the 1930s
4. Recent Lessons: NEA controversy
5. Bibliography & Further Reading

I. Introduction
The American government has no faith in our nation’s artists.
In the late 80s and early 90s, publicly funded art went under public and political scrutiny. Those periods of uncertainty when the existence of The National Endowment for the Arts almost did not survive should have been a wake-up call for artists nationwide. Instead, the arts establishment reacted defensively. Artists created even more controversial art and galleries were proud to stick it in the face of those awful politicians.
It has now been ten years since these "culture wars." Every year the NEA budget has been scrutinized or threatened. Every year conservatives in Congress and other politicians ceaselessly invoke the famous controversial art from Andres Serrano or Robert Mapplethorpe. This art somehow justifies, for them, completely eradicating the NEA. Anti-NEA factions successfully enable a vote on the House floor to decide over the future of the NEA over and over again. This is an indication that they are winning. They have support from people who believe that culture is no value for America.

The purposes of this website, www.arthome.org, are as follows:
1. to encourage artists to learn and understand the basic policy process, including the
    importance of compromising and making concessions in order to achieve successful policy.
2. providing the resources to enable artists and arts organizations to create projects which
    encourage public understanding of the arts, such as arts in education and community arts
    projects.
3. offering a free research and referral service for artists or arts organizations seeking funding
    and other information.
4. an advocacy section of organizations who are in the national arena defending
    the need for the arts in America.