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National Endowment for the Arts Annual Report 1979

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National Endowment for the Arts Annual Report 1979 National Endowment for the Arts National Endowment for the Arts Washington, D.C. 20506 Dear Mr. President: I have the honor to submit to you the Annual Report of the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Council on the Arts for the Fiscal Year ended September 30, 1979. Respectfully, Livingston L. Biddle, Jr. Chairman The President The White House Washington, D.C. February 1980 1 Contents Chairman’s Statement 2 The Agency and Its Functions 4 National Council on the Arts 5 Programs Deputy Chairman’s Statemen~ 8 Dance 10 Design Arts 30 Expansion Arts 50 Folk Arts 84 Literature 100 Media Arts: Film/Radio/Television 118 Museum 140 Music 172 Opera-Musical Theater 202 Special Projects 212 Theater 222 Visual Arts 240 Policy and Planning Challenge Grants 272 Evaluation 282 International/Fellows 283 Research 286 Special Constituencies 288 Office for Partnership Executive Director’s Statement 296 Education (Artists-in-Schools) 299 Federal-State Partnership (State Programs) 305 Intergovernmental Activities 312 Financial Summary 314 History of Authorizations and Appropriations 315 Chairman’s Statement A Common Cause for the Arts isolated rural coraraunities to the barrios and Perhaps nothing is raore enviable--or raore ghettoes of our inner cities. The dreara---that daunting--than the opportunity to raake a prac­ of access for all Araericans to the best in art-­ tical reality out of a visionary dreara. I happen is becoraing reality. to have this unusual privilege. As special assist­ But reality, as we all know, is a thorny ant to Senator Claiborne Pell frora 1963 to thing, with catches, snares and tangles. And so 1965, I helped draft the legislation establishing ir is with the arts today. the National Foundation on the Arts and the The greatest prob|era facing the arts asa Huraanities. As chairraan of the National En­ whole, I believe, is the danger of fragraenta­ dowraent for the Arts, I ara now in the procesa tion. The arts have corae lar in the last decade; of turning those carefully worded phrases into now ir seeras that many of those in the arts con­ goals, prograras, and accoraplishraents, centrate too narrowly on their own particular This A~nual Repo~4t provides a raeasure of interests. Too few groups are willing to look how far the dreara has corae. To skira through constructively at the whole picture, to take the the pages of this book, with its careful docu­ long view. The overriding need in the arts raenting of each grant awarded, is to be ira­ world today is for these groups to unite, to see pressed again with the enorraous vitality and their own interests within the larger context, to diversity of the arts in Araerica. Here, for ex­ work to~:ether toward coraraon goals. araple, is a record of a]l the coraraunities into By "fragmentation" in the arts, I do not which our finest dance corapanies toured; of raean that single-rainded dedication to a cause historic buildings preserved and adapted for ora discipline that is essential for the achieve­ use as art centers; of festivals and exhibits and raent of high artistic goals. I refer to a process workshops; of street theater and jazz c]asses; that begins with the narrow self-interest of ah of great rausic; of the institutions which organization, a discipline, ora cause--a process strengthen our country’s cultural life and of de­ where the ends are not idealistic, where the veloping organizations which strengthen its ultiraate purpose is self-aggrandizement. Those cultural diversity; of residencies for poeta and who fall into this trap lose sight of the cause writers in every corner of the United States. that first drew us together---the enriching, Here, too, are listed the individuals judged imagination-extending value of the arts. And worthy by panels of experts and by the Na­ when too raany forget the larger purpose, that tional Council on the Arts to receive fellowships purpose is in danger. --gifts of tirae to develop their talents. Here Fragraentation threatens the quality of the are the grants that will help preserve the tradi­ arts. Art is diminished when ir is narrowly tional arts and crafts of our diverse people, shackled--even to a very worthy cause. Wher­ from the Eskimos to the Micronesians. And ever art is forced to serve special interests, the here is a record of an expanding awareness of results may well further the interests, but they the artistic needs of minority groups and rec­ can dirainish the value of the art. For, although ognition of the validity and importance of their art does a great many good things in the world art. Free outdoor concerts, ticket discount pro­ fora great many people, ir does them best when grams for the elderly, touch museums for the ir is free. When artists bicker over resources blind--the Endowment has played a part in and relative status, they can bring a pettiness supporting them all. To read through the list and discord into the arts which haraper their presented here is to realize that the arts, with flourishing. their special capacities to enrich lives, are No task is raore important now than to reaching into every corner of our land--from keep the arts free--free from their own politic­ Chairman’s Statement 3 ization, free from limiting special interests, and to take the initiative that will enable the free to experiment and explore. Free to pursue arts to continue to grow and to flourish. excellence. My confidence in the íuture of the arts Toward this end, we need ah arts world rests also on another factor. The American peo­ working together for a common purpose, united ple are developing a vision of what the arts can by a vision of what the arts can become in this mean to the country, to their communities, and society. This cannot be a vision of ~vhat the Arts to individual lives. The growth of the arts in Endowment alone mandates for the arts, íor recent years has been phenomenal. Since 1966, the Endowment does not set national policy for the number oí major symphony orchestras and the arts themselves. It should never dictate opera companies has more than doubled; the taste. These matters are to be determined by number of resident professional theaters has the private sector, quadrupled; and the number of resident profes­ Our vision must be of ~vhat can be accom­ sional dance companies is more than ten times plished, with the help of government, if the pri­ ~vhat it ~vas. Annual state appropriations for vate arts communities unite in purpose, the arts have increased from $4 million to more The Arts Endowment was established to than $80 million. The number of community develop programs that support the arts. As the arts agencies has leaped from about 150 in 1966 only federal agency with this exclusive mission, to nearly 2,000 today. the Arts Endowment has the responsibility to Wherever I go, I see gro~ving evidence of represent all the arts: to see the arts world this spontaneous upsurge oí interest, which seems to speak for a profound longing, most whole and to help develop the kinds of pro­ grams that respond to this need. The arts in difficult to demonstrate in practical terms, yet their multiplicityand immense diversity--these demonstrably essential to the human spirit. are the ingredients of the whole. And it is di­ Wherever I go, also, I see that, as the American minished when any one part is neglected. It is people have more opportunities to experience diminished to the detriment of a íull and com­ the arts, their demand for greater availability plete vision, becomes insistent, and their perception of qual­ Most important of all, the Arts Endow­ ity becomes sharper. This confirms my demo­ ment has the greatest resources in the land to cratic faith that the arts recognize no bound­ bring to bear in the service of the arts. I refer aries ; it strengthens my resolve to work to~vard the goal I envisioned ~vhen I became chairman to the expertise of our panelists and members of the National Council for the Arts. I often of the Arts Endowment--the vision of "access think of the Arts Endoxvment as ah agency to the best"--access for all Americans to art of the highest quality. íundamentally linked with the private world, The Arts Endo~vment has proved to be ah Primarily members of the private sector, the extraordinarily effective and uniquely Ameri­ 500 panelists, whose views are so important in can catalyst in bringing us íorward toward this the selection of projects and fello~vship win­ goal. ners, outnumber the Endo~vment’s 300 staff members, justas the 26 Council members out- number the chairman and t~vo deputies. This-­ kind of partnership is wha~ I envisioned when I ~vas drafting the original legislation. I have " confidence that this partnership of government and the private world is the soundest possible Livingston L. Biddle one to give unified purpose to the arts world Chairman, National Endowment for the Arts 4 The Agency and Its Functions The National Foundation on the Arts and the effect, ah independent federal agency, with its Humanities own Chairman, National Council, staff, pro­ In 1965, Congress created the National Foun­ grams, and budget. dation on the Arts and the Humanities as an Both legislatively and by Council policy, independent agency of the Executive Branch the Arts Endowment was conceived asa cata­ of the Federal Government. The Act, Public lyst to increase opportunities for artists and Law 89-209, was last amended by Public Law to spur involvement in the arts on the part of 94-462 in October 1976.
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