NewsHour Backgrounders
June 25, 1998:
A NewsHour interview with the new head of the NEA, Willliam Ivey.
Browse the NewsHour's coverage of Arts & Entertainment.
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A question from Ryan Denning of Pittsburgh, PA:
As is the case for several government agencies, the NEA benefits a wide segment of the population, yet only receives attention in times of controversy. It always seems to be on the defensive and the relevancy of the agency appears to be in constant question. Do you have any intention to promote, not only the artists of the NEA, but the agency itself, as a way to reassure the public that the arts and the NEA have significance in their lives?
William Ivey answers:
We do this already, and now that the House of Representatives has voted to approve our funding for next year, it's time to move beyond the controversies of the past. We will continue doing our best to get the word out to the public that the arts and the NEA are significant to them. We have a small but active media staff that is in frequent contact with journalists around the country. Other Endowment staff members have traveled throughout the U.S. in recent months, meeting with arts organizations and reporters about the role of the Endowment in their communities. The agency also publishes and distributes a variety of publications on arts-related topics. These are available to the public and are listed on our Web site. A wealth of information about both the Endowment and the importance of the arts in America can be found at http://arts.endow.gov.
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