Michigan Leads Nation in Biggest Cut to Arts Funding

by
Michigan Radio
Tuesday, January 12, 2010

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by Jennifer Guerra
Ann Arbor, MI — Michigan leads the pack with a whopping 80 percent cut to state arts funding between fiscal year 2009 and 2010. Next comes Florida with a 65 percent cut, followed by Illinois with nearly 53 percent.

That’s according to the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies.

John Bracey is executive director of Michigan’s arts agency, the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs. He says he knows the state is going through a tough time right now and that everyone is feeling a great deal of pain, “but it seems like the arts and culture sector have felt more than their share.”

Bracey also says the cuts put Michigan at a disadvantage.

“When you’re trying to attract and retain your young workers, when you’re trying to attract new business into the state, the arts and culture sector in your state means a great deal to the quality of life,” he says.

Michigan’s arts funding dropped from around $7 million last year to $2 million this year.

That’s compared to a high of nearly $26 million in 2001.

Contact Jennifer Guerra at guerraj@umich.edu. You can also find this story at michiganradio.org.

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  • Taylor
    I think arts is always the first to get cut back when there is an economic problem and that shouldn't be so.Not only does arts enrich the community but it also appeals to the young students who will be the future to the workforce so why take something away they enjoy so they can lose more and more interest in education all together?Me personally when I was in school I looked forward to band and art class.Taking that away there are no more "fun" classes on schedules which may cause students to go looking else where "cutting class" for fun.
  • nbashaw
    Art is incredibly important, but I must say most of the great art I've experienced wasn't propped up by an institution. I've seen famous paintings in museums but they don't compare to the passion and creativity of a local band in somebody's basement, or a bracelet made by a friend. I'm ignorant of what art Michigan funds, but I have a hunch that it doesn't make a difference as to whether I stay or not. Maybe that's just a manifestation of my preference for "low" art, as opposed to cultured or "high" art.
  • I don't know exactly where the arts funding goes, but I think it's more about education and awareness than supporting specific projects. If the funds don't return, we'll have a future generation of Michigan natives who know nothing about art, aren't interested in it, can't appreciate it, etc. It's not just about paintings -- it's about opening minds, which is never undesirable.

    However, I'd argue that arts funding in the U.S. is generally too sparse and it should be funneled into specific projects. Many would contribute more to the collective artistic culture if they had a bit of time or money. For example, Canada and Sweden have programs that fund music recording. FACTOR is the big one in Canada (http://www.factor.ca/). I've heard that Sweden allows people to take paid leave from work to pursue creative projects. One example of the payoff is that some of the most acclaimed music of the last 10 years has come from those two countries.

    Actually a Google search turned up this article about arts funding in Michigan (i.e. why fund the arts, where should funds go): http://www.michiganinbrief.org/edition07/Chapter5/ArtsFunding.htm
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