Wes Clark's Commitment to the Arts and Arts Education

We measure civilizations by their achievements in the arts: long after leaders have passed on and wars are the business of historians, it is works of art and the products of advanced thought that remain. We look to the writers, composers, poets, dancers, musicians, actors and artists, especially Americans, of the past to provide us with ballast to the uncertainties of our own times. That's why I believe we need to return the Arts as a the national priority. The fiscal crisis facing many states has caused substantial cuts in funding for arts and arts education. The Federal government role in nurturing the arts is more important than ever.

The viability of cities and towns can be measured by the success of their arts programs. Theaters, museums, and galleries are, increasingly, playing an important role in community development. They create measurable economic growth, often revitalizing metropolitan areas and re-opening vacant store-fronts and restaurants in neighborhoods, as an eager public seeks out performances and exhibitions. We all enjoy the diversions of corporate culture: movies, popular music and television give us a valuable common language. But there are other forms of expression that have as their goal to elevate thought and hold up a mirror to human nature. This kind of culture is as valuable and important. I think the government ought to support it with increased commitment.

These kinds of arts are being lost to us, and that is because is economic times such as these, it is arts programs that are being cut in schools. Ironically, many studies have shown that arts in schools improve reading and mathematics ability, foster self-expression and individual thought, creativity and imagination, and improve socializing among children. I think we need to make a special effort to return the arts to the schools, to insure that the next generations of Americans will learn about the riches of the past while being able to fully discover their own particular talents. Who knows how such education in children might enrich the rest of society?

We also need to increase funding to arts programs and artists to support valuable work in the arts and humanities. The National Endowments were created in the 1960s, a time when the Federal government was dedicated to large-scale efforts to make this sort of improvements in the lives of its citizens. Unfortunately, during subsequent decades, this high-minded mission has been dissipated, as the discussions of what constitutes art have become divisive arguments. I think we need to try to reassert the Federal government's role in leading the nation to a broader exposure to the value of the arts in our society--that is the best source I can think of to foster mutual understanding among ourselves at home and abroad, and the best way for us to grow as a nation of such diverse peoples.

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