Well, I don't really have any other forum for this, so I'm going to say it here: What is the deal? Why does anyone think cutting a program that costs $500K and takes in $1M in external money is smart? How many jobs will be lost, again? Hundreds, perhaps thousands? Everyone who thinks that private donations will make up the difference from the federal NEA funding may leave your donation right there next to the computer. Now. Go on, get out your wallets!
This is pure political BS, not smart budget-cutting or effective jobs creation. It makes me feel, quite frankly, that the State of Kansas would rather run off the arts and artists because what was, frankly, trivial to the state budget was actually quite valuable to the organizations and individuals who received that support. Regardless whether you like my work, it is not the sort of thing that gets bought and sold easily in commercial galleries. Does that mean I should stop making it and make nice cute tchotchkes that go with Charles Koch's couch? I personally make no profit from this, yet I am committed to doing intellectually-challenging work that resists commodification. Am I supposed to think that policies that would force me to be more commercial by refusing grant support for more challenging work is not a government statement to me personally, and to all the dancers, actors, musicians, and artists like me who make risky work?
Is that what we are about, Kansas?
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