1976 Annual Report National Endowment National Council ior the Arts on the Arts National Endowment National Council 1976 on the Arts Annual Report tor 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 June 30, 1976, and the Transition Quarter ended September 30, 1976. Respectfully, Nancy Hanks Chairman The President The White House Washington, D.C. April 1976 Contents Chairman’s Statement 4 Organization 6 National Council on the Arts 7 Architecture ÷ Environmental Arts 8 Dance 20 Education 30 Expansion Arts 36 Federal-State Partnership 50 Literature 58 Museums 66 Music 82 Public Media 100 Special Projects 108 Theatre 118 Visual Arts 126 The Treasury Fund 140 Contributors to the Treasury Fund, Fiscal Year 1976 141 History of Authorizations and Appropriations 148 Financial Summary, Fiscal Year 1976 150 Staff of the National Endowment for the Arts 151 Chairman’s Statement In recognition of the great value to the public of the cans felt the arts to be essential to the quality of life for country’s arts, artists, and cultural institutions, the National participation, many cultural institutions face mounting themselves and their children. Similar attitudes have been gaps between costs and earnings which must be filled by Endowment for the Arts was established in 1965 to help expressed in resolutions of the National Association of to strengthen the arts professionally and to ensure that additional contributions. To help meet this need and to American life is enriched by their aesthetic, intellectual, Counties, National Governors Conference, National enable cultural institutions to establish higher levels of League of Cities, and U.S. Conference of Mayors. regular philanthropic support from a broader range of social, spiritual, and practical contributions. The intent of The Arts Endowment has hada key role in focusing the Congress and the President was to create an inde­ sources, the Congress has authorized a new Cultural these developments. Listening to the popular voice, ir has Challenge Grant Program, with funding at $12 milIion in pendent nonpartisan agency that would work to increase created opportunities for the fulfillment of public desires : the availability of the arts to all citizens, develop our Fiscal Year 1977. ¯ It has helped leaders in the various artistic fields Cultural Challenge Grants are intended as one-time cultural resources, and advance our cultural legacy--with­ come together, shape responsive plans, and implement out governmental control of the arts. The Endowment was grants that must be matched at a minimum of 3 to 1 and effective programs, can be used for up to three years. They will be awarded to be advised by a Presidentially appointed National ¯ As resources have permitted, it has moved into a Council on the Arts, composed of twenty-six persons on the basis of long-range integrated program, audience, widening range of cultural arcas and assisted in the devel­ and financial development plans submitted by the nationally recognized for their achievements in of services opment of new centers of excellence in the arts in various to the arts. institutions. geographic regions. There are already encouraging signs that foundations, The Endowment’s first decade has coincided with a ¯ It has encouraged innovative methods of bringing surge of cultural interest among our people. This new cultural opportunities to a larger audience and fostered corporations, unions, and others will be stimulated by artistic awareness has become a means for asserting the challenge grants to reassess their philanthropic priorities, more energetic grass roots arts programming, and accept greater responsibility for the cultural life of identities of the many cultures represented in America and ¯ Working as an advocate within the Federal Govern­ for shaping a diverse new American cultural identity. It their communities. However, fuIfillment of the promise in ment, it has stimulated other departments and agencies to this program will require creative and energetic work by has brought respect to the country’s folk arts and crafts use the arts more effectively in such arcas as architecture, traditions. It has enlivened all the established arts. leaders of cultural institutions and by public officials and graphic design, public arts and education, civic leaders at all levels. If successful, this effort will result The past decade has witnessed a reníarkable growth in Critical to the Endowment’s work has been its ability the quality and number of cultural institutions. In 1965, to draw on the talents of the best professional leadership not only in a better financial base for the arts but in a there were 58 professional symphony orchestras; in 1976 significant strengthening of the public-private sector in the arts. Through the years, the National Council and partnership for the arts. there were 110. Professional opera companies have the advisory panels have included many of our finest expanded from 27 to 45; professional dance companies artists and cultural leaders in every artistic field. They Achieving a larger tole in the arts for state and local from 37 to 157. There are now 145 professional theatres, constitute a continuing representative national forum in as against 23 a decade ago; 40 regional media centers, as governments behalf of the arts in America. As already indicated, these governmental jurisdictions against one. Museums grew in size and increased in number Also vital ate the Endowment’s matching require- from 1,700 to 1,880. The number of small literary maga- have increased their recognition and support of the arts. ments for its grants, which bring additional non-Federal At the state level, many continue to be far too dependent zines advanced frorn 450 to 700, and independent presses resources to the arts. Overall, each Endowment dollar from 200 to 350. on Federal funding. This is nota reason for cutting back generates three to four other dollars in the support of the Federal contribution, but for encouraging them to do The people’s desire to experience and participate in the arts also is revealed by their support of state and local particular projects. Endowment grants generally provide more for themselves. This should be possible, despite the somewhere between 5 and 8 percent of the total budgets of financial problems of state and local governments, ir all action to make the arts more widely available. A decade major cultural institutions. But because these íunds have ago, only a dozen states and 175 communities had art government officials achieve a better understanding of the a catalytic effect, the past decade has seen the development growing importance of the arts to their citizens and the agencies. Now they exist in all of the states, ñve territories, of a unique partnership in arts funding, involving all levels and more than 1,000 communities. The prospect of Endow- of government and the private sector--most notably, ways in which the arts can assist in achieving such other ment annual bloc grants to all states and territories was an civic goals as economic growth, community development, foundations, corporations, anda wide range of individuals, improved education, anda better life for senior citizens. important stimulus to the creation of state arts agencies, For the future, there are very important jobs to be whose total budgets in Fiscal Year 1975 were $59 million, done in continuing to fulñll the Arts Endowment’s mission. Making the arts even more widely available These continuing grants are an important incentive to the Among them: establishment and development of sound programs, Substantial progress has been made in extending In further corroboration of this public interest, a 1975 cultural opportunities of quality to a wider public, includ­ study of public attitudes toward the arts conducted by Securing greater financial stability in cultural institutions ing specialized audiences. As cultural institutions grow Louis Harris found that more than 90 percent of Ameri­ Beset by rising costs and unable to increase prices to stronger and more stable, as state and local governments a commensurate level without raising economic barriers to assume greater arts responsibility, andas artists learn to serve broader communities, this progress will be extended, present ah effective program. In addition, the Endowment’s programs in all fields must The Federal government has already done a great give continuing attention to this need--emphasizing deal to strengthen the arts in America. With personal community-based arts programs, touring exhibits and per- leadership from Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon. and formances, developing indigenous cultural resources, and Ford, and with strong support from the Congress, the bringing more extensive quality arts programming to work of the National Endowment for the Arts has pro- television and radio, vided hope, inspiration, a sense of direction, anda small but essential element of material support. These contribu­ lntegrating the arts into other pursuits tions have been made without intruding government into Important in their own right, the arts--and the per- artistic substance, which is a remarkable achievement. It is spectives and skills ot~ artists--also can serve many other accounted for partly by the fact that the Endowment’s ends. There are worthwhile examples in projects that serve programs are firmly rooted in the arts professions them­ youth, the handicapped, and the aging; improve the quality selves, and partly by the agency’s independent position, of our physical environment; build effective cornmunities which enables ir to protect the integrity of responsible in neighborhoods and places of work; rehabilitate crim­ professional judgment--the essential ingredient for the inals; and help the sick. These should be extended and proper exercise of its obligations to the public. improved upon by both the public and private sectors.