More from D.C.’s Creative Economy Study | dcBlog43

More from D.C.’s Creative Economy Study | dcBlog43 HERE

"The event yesterday included presentations by five panelists, including the Director of the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, and residents of Sunderland, England (one of the District's Sister Cities. ..."

DCblog43 is the blog site of a Washington, D.C. resident Robert Bettmann

Put Art Works Back in Stimulus Plan

Agnes Gund, David Lang and Nell Breyer speak out.

In 1935, the Works Projects Administration established the Federal Art Project, The Federal Music Project, The Federal Theater Project and The Federal Writers Project and many other New Deal cultural programs.

Under the Art Project, an estimated 2,500 murals for hospitals, schools and municipal buildings, 17,744 sculptures, 108,099 easel paintings and 240,000 prints were produced, many in turn, loaned to schools, libraries, galleries, and other institutions. Under the Music Project, orchestras, chamber, choral and opera groups, military, concert and dance bands offered over 5,000 performances before some three million people each week. Under the Theater Project over 1,200 plays were produced, introducing 100 new playwrights. Under the Writer's Project writers provided research, writing and editorial services to government agencies, produced 3.5 million copies of 800 titles, the historic American Guide Series -- comprehensive guidebooks for every state, Alaska, Guam, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C and some of the most important oral history archives and American folklore collections we have to date.

"Arts in Crisis: A Kennedy Center Initiative"

Kennedy Center to Help Arts Programs in Economic Trouble

By Jacqueline Trescott

Washington Post Staff Writer

After a string of successes rescuing arts groups from near-death, Kaiser is now enlisting Kennedy Center managers to help nonprofit arts organizations that are reeling from the recession.

"Arts in Crisis: A Kennedy Center Initiative" was announced this morning. Essentially, the program is a high-tech support service through which arts administrators can talk to the center's personnel about shrinking income, budget-conscious audiences and other difficulties in keeping the doors open.

"Arts in Crisis" has a Web site where organizations can register: http://www.artsincrisis.org. Assistance will be provided through e-mails, telephone calls, Web chats or site visits.

Read WaPo article HERE