Table Of ContentGRANTS
for the
ARTS
GRANTS
for the
ARTS
Virginia P. White
Springer Science +B usiness Media, LLC
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
White, Virginia P.
Grants for the arts.
Includes index.
1. Arts—Scholarships, fellowships, etc.—United States. 2. Art
patronage—United States. I. Title.
NX398.W46 338.4' 7' 700973 679-18043
ISBN 978-0-306-40270-8
ISBN 978-0-306-40270-8 ISBN 978-1-4899-3785-8 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-4899-3785-8
© 1980 Springer Science+Business Media New York
Originally published by Plenum Press, New York in 1980
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1980
All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,
or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, microfilming, recording, or otherwise, without written
permission from the Publisher
To Charles, my son
Preface
The way Americans view the arts and the artist has undergone a
radical transformation in the past few years. Up until very recently,
we tended to accept Gustave Flaubert's satirical definition of "artist"
given in the Dictionnaire des Idees Re(ues, an anthology of the cliches,
platitudes, and "accepted ideas" of late nineteenth century France.
The entry under" Artist" reads: "All charlatans. Praise their disin
terestedness (old-fashioned). Express surprise that they dress like
everyone else (old-fashioned). They earn huge sums and squander
them. Often asked to dine out. Woman artist necessarily a whore.
What artists do cannot be called work."l
Our definition of the artist changed as we began to learn more
about what the artist does and to better understand what art means
in our lives. In the past ten years, arts has become one of the major
areas supported by private philanthropy and has gained in signifi
cance throughout all levels of government.
We lost faith in our ability to create a Great Society at the end
of the 1960s, and our belief that advances in science and technology
would automatically bring about a, better world was eroding fast.
Beating the rest of our planet to the moon and pouring money into
the burned out, destitute, and crime-infested inner cities had not
changed anything; foreign aid had not won friends or influenced
anybody very much.
Along with this disillusion came a marked change in patterns
I Gustave Flaubert, The Dictionary of Accepted Ideas, translated by Jacques Barzun.
New York: New Directions Publishing Corporation, 1967.
vii
viii
PREFACE
of philanthropy in both the public and private sectors. Government
support for basic research fell off, and concern for the environment
deepened. Private organizations began to turn away from interna
tional programs upon which they had pinned such high hopes in
the first decade following World War II. Even education, the impor
tance of which had never been questioned, lost some of its magical
power to gain support with promises of new and better techniques.
Social programs were viewed with cynicism, and grantmaking agen
cies and organizations began to insist that all applications include
an item called evaluation-a measure to prove that something had
been done with the monies made available. A mood of frustration
and sadness slowly spread throughout that portion of our society
that engages in activities which can best be supported through some
kind of grantmaking mechanism-nonprofit educational, social, and
welfare organizations.
But, Lo! Suddenly a light appeared-not a great light as on the
first day of creation. In the beginning, it was only a tiny pin-point,
but it has grown steadily. That light is the "arts." The arts have
pervaded American society in a way that almost no one ever believed
possible. Who would ever have thought that museum attendance in
this country would outdraw sports events? That there would be an
international ballet festival in Jackson, Mississippi? Who would have
guessed a few years ago that today one of the two places in the
world where it is possible to hear Wagner's complete "The Ring of
the Nibelung" annually would be Seattle, Washington?
More people in the United States (49%) attend art shows, mu
seums, and crafts shows than attend sports events (47%), and the
survey which revealed these figures also indicated that 93% of
Americans consider cultural resources important to the quality of
life.
We have become a nation of art lovers, and this is reflected in
the direction of all grantmaking organizations; support for the arts
has increased remarkably during the past 10 years-more than any
other field with the possible exception of those related to energy
resources.
Foundations led the way as they often do, exercising their rel
ative freedom to venture out of the mainstream, a freedom not
enjoyed by governments answerable to a voting constituency or by
corporations with a wary eye on their usually conservative share
holders. As government and corporate support for the arts has
ix
PREFACE
mounted, foundations have pulled back, but their contribution in
pointing the way was remarkable.
Government support, beginning with the federal level and
going all the way down to cities and counties, has increased by leaps
and bounds and is still growing, especially at the state and com
munity level. Corporations increased their support of the arts eleven
fold in the 11 years between 1967 and 1978 and the upswing contin
ues.
As might have been expected, this increase in the volume of
arts support has been accompanied by an increase in competition
for the available funds and along with that has come the need for a
more professional approach in finding sponsors for arts activities.
The techniques used in seeking support for the arts have their
own unique aspects, but the fundamental essential is the same as
for grantseeking in all fields, and that is information. It is impossible
to conduct a well-planned search for grants without knowing how
to go about identifying potential funding sources, how to manage
the informal negotiations preceding the submission of an applica
tion, and, finally, how to prepare the written application.
This book is designed to provide basic information on all aspects
of seeking financial assistance for all the arts as well as those fields
closely related to the arts.
In attempting to define what should be included in "the arts,"
one recognizes immediately that there is no consensus. There is
general understanding that painting, sculpture, music, drama, lit
erature, and some creative pursuits associated directly with these
fields are "arts," but when it comes to those activities spawned by
modern technology such as film and video making, or with those
that hark back to cottage-industry productions, which we call crafts,
uncertainty arises.
In recognition of the fact that dissemination of the arts has been
advanced and accelerated through film and video, those fields have
been included. The crafts, historic preservation, and other activities
that may be considered peripheral to the arts are also included.
In the preparation of this book, I have been assisted by many
people in various ways. Some of them talked with me extensively
about their experiences in arts funding; others furnished essential
data and information; a few read portions of the manuscript and
made corrections and helpful comments. All of them were courteous,
tolerant, and patient including those to whom I addressed questions
X PREFACE
that betrayed a woeful ignorance. It would be impossible to name
everyone who gave me assistance in some form, but I will mention
a few as an expression of my deep gratitude.
For sharing with me detailed information from their own ex
periences and/or reviewing portions of the manuscript: W. McNeil
Lowry, Robert Mayer, Roger Kennedy, Lonna Jones, Carol Kurzig,
Stephen Benedict, Alvin H. ("Skip") Reiss, and Marilyn Goucher.
For research assistance on specific subjects and other help in
various forms, listed alphabetically and not ranked by magnitude of
the contribution: Harold ("Bud") Arberg, Joanna Barnes, Marjory
Bassett, Livingston Biddle, Gideon Chagy, Paul Ebert, Eduardo Gar
cia, Mary Esther Gaulden, Wayne Karmosky, Mary Keil, Peggy
Kenas, Cindy Lyle, Robert McFarland, Granville Meader, Judith
Murphy, Frederic Papert, Janice Robbins, Molly Scoville, Clifford
Snyder, William Conrad Struna, LuRaye Tate, Fannie Taylor, Ellen
Thurston, and Catherine Ungaro.
Special thanks to Patrick Tarantino, with whom I discussed
every portion of the book from first concept to final product. He
made excellent suggestions, assisted with research, and cheered me
on when I was discouraged. Mr. Tarantino also reviewed the com
pleted manuscript, and the final work reflects his constructive crit
icism.
Ina Greenfield provided invaluable research assistance as well
as constructive suggestions and encouragement, particularly in the
final stages.
Karla Voth was most helpful with research in the early stages.
Muriel Bennett typed the final manuscript.
This book would have been impossible without the support of
the Plenum Publishing Corporation, and I am deeply grateful to all
members of the staff who contributed to its realization: Frank Co
lumbus, the staff member with whom I was most closely associated,
was supportive at every stage, encouraging, and unflagging in his
confidence. Harvey Graveline and his colleagues, who had the
thankless task of turning a messy manuscript into a presentable
publication, have done a superb job retaining their calm even under
the pressure of "author's nerves."
Finally, the two people who are most responsible for this book
without them, I would never have written the first book, and with
out that, this one would never have seen the light of day. For their
PREFACE Xl
faith in me, my most grateful thanks to Alexander Hollaender and
Robert Ubell.
VIRGINIA P. WHITE
December, 1979
New York, New York
