NEA chair defends arts funding at several campus events

It has been 10 years since the National Endowment for the Arts and Penn's Institute of Contemporary Art were at the heart of a national controversy on public funding for provocative art exhibits. Yesterday, the government agency and the University once again joined forces, as NEA Chairman Bill Ivey spent the day fielding provocative questions during a public interview and chatting intimately with a select group of undergraduates during a private lunch. Ivey culminated a day of on-campus events with an interview and town meeting at the ICA last night. Ivey, who succeeded History Professor and former University President Sheldon Hackney as head of the NEA, was hosted by both the Kelly Writers House and the ICA in recognition of his ongoing efforts to strengthen the role of the NEA in America's culture and heritage. The public interview, entitled "Ask what you can do for the NEA and what the NEA can do for you: A local conversation about the future of the national public funding for the arts," was hosted by Tracey Tanenbaum, the arts producer for WXPN-FM. The "town meeting," which drew a crowd of several dozen students and local artists, was so crowded that audience members lined the entire back walls of the ICA's lecture room. Ivey answered a variety of questions ranging from the more general -- the current state of art appreciation in America, for instance -- to the more specific, such as the nature of the grants awarded by the agency. The NEA has been the center of national controversy over the past decade. In particular, the agency's involvement with the ICA drew Congress' attention in the early 1990s after the NEA agreed to fund a Robert Mapplethorpe photography exhibit that some, including conservative North Carolina Sen. Jesse Helms, deemed obscene. The following year, all NEA grant recipients had to sign a pledge swearing off obscenity, and the ICA found itself a target of heavy government-funding restrictions. Last night, Ivey told the audience that he has worked as a proponent of using art as a means to aid children in expressing themselves and helping them be successful in school. "If we establish value and show how much better children do when involved in the arts, funding will no longer be an issue," Ivey said. He added that Americans today should "take care of both the physical needs and take care of our cultural heritage." In today's society, Ivey said, people are all too often under the "false assumption that the material trumps the spiritual." Today, the agency has a $97.6 million budget to spend on various projects, grants and fellowships. But, Ivey stressed repeatedly, the influence of the NEA extends further than simply providing funding. In fact, according to Ivey, the NEA can use its visibility as a platform from which to advocate greater interest and funding for the arts from both the private and the commercial sector. Following his talk, ICA officials expressed their respect for Ivey and his position. "[He is] an impassioned crusader for the arts whose task it is to rally and inspire supporters on a daily basis," said Judith Tannenbaum, the outgoing associate director of the gallery. For the second year in a row, President Clinton has proposed in his budget an increase of $52 million in NEA funding. The interview also included questions about the selection process for funding projects. Ivey explained that panels of artist-citizens are selected to review applications. Through the process, one third of the requests are granted support. After changes made in Congress over the last few years, individual grants have been made nearly impossible. The only individuals who receive patronage are a select 40 writers and 40 poets. In his final remarks, Ivey expressed that his agency is about "doing the right thing." "Once the bond is forged [between community and art], funding will no longer be an issue," he said.

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