The arts should be supported through the National Endowment for the Arts. Artists should be allowed the freedom to produce whatever form of art they please. However, the taxpayer”s money should not go towards art that is patently offensive to the general public. The National Endowment for the Arts is very beneficial in encouraging the development of the arts. The National Endowment for the Arts stimulates growth, as well as increasing access to the arts. Art is important to us in education. It encourages development of America”s artists, scholars, and historians. Art maintains a cultural history.
It displays our differences, viewpoints, and values as a nation or society. The arts belong to the people of the United States, and we deserve increased access to the arts. This is exactly what the National Endowment for the arts accomplishes.
Just as anyone has the right to view what they please, the artist has the right to express his or her creativity, feelings, thoughts, and perception in any artistic form they please. No subject matter is forbidden. We should support free speech not suppress it. This can however, be taken to extremes.
A selection of art can be deemed as offensive to the general public. This does not mean that restrictions should be placed on it preventing people from viewing it. The taxpayers money should not go towards the presentation of such works. A large percentage of funding of the arts comes from private giving. If a minority group wishes to view such art, they should have to support it themselves. In cases such as the Maple Thorpe exhibits, it seems to be self supportive. It is hard to justify spending tax dollars on something that is going to offend those who put out the money. Tax dollars are to benefit the public, not to provide for individual tastes, especially those that are offensive to the general public.
Supporting the arts through the National Endowment for the Arts is beneficial to society as a whole. Through the National Endowment for the Arts our accessibility to productions and projects is increased. Viewing of “offensive” art should not be restricted. However it should have to be supported by those who do not agree with such works of art.
