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| Federal Art Project, [between 1936 and 1941] |
Here’s my thoughts on grants (travel grants in particular) and the fact that they are under scrutiny. The government should not be issuing grants to individual artists to further their careers, artistic development, or travel and research. If you want that money you should either work for it, secure private funding, or work harder at selling some art.
Instead of grants going to individual artists (who often write a better grant proposals than the actual art they produce) we should reinstate the WPA (Works Progress Administration) and actually hire artists to do work for public spaces.
I think an artist being upset about grants being taken away for travel only reinforces the general perception of artists being on an endless vacation. If we were hired (commissioned) to do work for public buildings and parks then maybe there would be more of an appreciation for the arts.
Why would ma and pa kettle care about the self-indulgent conceptual art some of you produce. I know I don't give a rats rear about it and I’m your colleague. I say bring back the WPA, lets make some art that enriches our fellow citizens daily lives, beautifies our surroundings and puts people back to work. Or just keep fighting for grants and have the tax payers continue to view artists as self-important welfare cases on the dole.
Instead of grants going to individual artists (who often write a better grant proposals than the actual art they produce) we should reinstate the WPA (Works Progress Administration) and actually hire artists to do work for public spaces.
I think an artist being upset about grants being taken away for travel only reinforces the general perception of artists being on an endless vacation. If we were hired (commissioned) to do work for public buildings and parks then maybe there would be more of an appreciation for the arts.
Why would ma and pa kettle care about the self-indulgent conceptual art some of you produce. I know I don't give a rats rear about it and I’m your colleague. I say bring back the WPA, lets make some art that enriches our fellow citizens daily lives, beautifies our surroundings and puts people back to work. Or just keep fighting for grants and have the tax payers continue to view artists as self-important welfare cases on the dole.
