Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Trump’s Artistic Vision for America


By: Mary Kiser

Donald Trump will most likely cut funds for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), which comes as a shock to people, especially those in creative fields. Even though the president’s only presenting a proposal, there’s a chance Congress could approve the budget cuts, which would starve artists out of $300 million.

“The Trump administration has revealed a proposal to cut the NEA and NEH in its federal budget plan. The elimination of both agencies would have a serious impact on cultural production, and the artists, musicians, writers, and scholars who rely on it,” Caroline Elbaor, a writer for artnet News, elaborates.

Creatives aren’t the only people who would suffer. The school system would face taxing consequences, too. All students (mainly the ones living in low-income areas) won’t get to enjoy educational trips to “history museums, art exhibits, and music and theater performances. ‘Congress must look out for the millions of American families that can’t always travel to big cities to visit a museum when they want to learn about art and history,’” Kirsten Gillibrand, a senator, states.

The NEA and NEH are vital to the country’s progression, but even if people could thrive without the agencies, at least one student would never get to gaze at Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night, thank veterans at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, or count the stars in Jasper John’s Three Flags.

Art can be expressed through a computer screen, but it can only be experienced in the flesh.

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