ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS AN INVESTMENT IN AMERICA'S LIVING CULTURAL HERITAGE I 1 NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS January, 1999 Every year the lives of millions of people throughout our land are touched by performances, exhibitions, and educational and community activities that are funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. The Arts Endowment belongs to the American people, and it's a pleasure to present this summary of the agency's strategic plan for fiscal years 1999-2004. The plan reflects the Endowment's commitment to fostering America's creativity and investing in our living cultural heritage. Consistent with our founding legislation, for more than three decades the Endowment has helped to foster the wisdom and vision that democracy demands of its citizens. The development of creative expression and the public appreciation of our cultural achievements are essential to our nation's well-being, and federal support for these activities is an act of deep patriotism. As we approach the new millennium, this is the time to honor and celebrate the values that sustain our civilization. Our arts reflect the cultural diversity of the American people, and express the rich complexity of our democracy. The Arts Endowment stands ready to keep the arts a vibrant, central part of the nation's life, for our citizens, families, and communities today and for the generations to come. •ill Ivey f/ Bill Chairman N A I ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS OUR VISION: A nation in which the arts play a central role in the lives of all Americans. OUR MISSION: The National Endowment for the Arts, an investment in America's living cultural heritage, serves the public good by nurturing human creativity, supporting community spirit, and fostering appreciation of the excellence and diversity of our nation's artistic accomplishments. OUR GOALS: ■ Access to the arts for all Americans. ■ Creation and presentation of artistically excellent work. ■ Lifelong education in the arts for all. ■ Preservation of our cultural heritage. ■ Strong and stable arts organizations. ■ Community building through the arts. ■ Enhanced partnerships with the public and private sectors. «f THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS: Belongs to the American people. TheNEA: ■ costs less than one-hundredth of 1% of the federal budget. ■ supports music, theater and film festivals; dance, orchestra, and opera performances; poetry readings and workshops; national radio and television arts broadcasts; artist residencies in schools; city design and downtown renewal; folk arts and historic preservation; contempo- rary and historical museum exhibitions. Makes the arts accessible to more Americans. The NEA : ■ brings touring performances to small towns and rural areas in all 50 states. ■ sponsors large and small museum exhibitions that travel throughout the country. ■ reaches millions of Americans through free public broadcasts, the Internet, and festivals visited by tourists. Promotes arts education. The NEA: ■ invests millions of dollars in K-12 arts programs nationwide. ■ funds arts training for American teachers, special performances in the nation's schools, and after-school arts programs that improve children's life skills. ■ has helped develop arts education standards for all students. ■ supports lifelong learning in the arts. Provides a stamp of excellence that leverages private support. NEA grants: ■ are selected by national panels of private citizens in a rigorous review process. ■ confer national prestige. ■ are matched at least 1 : 1 by local and state agencies, corporations, foundations, and individuals. Supports cultural activities that strengthen our economy. The NEA is the largest single hinder of the nonprofit arts industry in America, which every year: ■ pumps nearly $37 billion into the economy through annual expenditures. ■ generates over $5 billion in revenue for federal, state, and local governments. ■ provides more than 1.3 million full time jobs. Preserves American's living cultural heritage for the 2 1 st century. NEA grants: ■ conserve historic paintings. ■ restore public monuments. ■ preserve historic sound recordings and films. ■ showcase Native American art. ■ fund literary anthologies. ■ enable artistic masters to pass on their skills. Provides national leadership. The NEA: ■ sponsors national forums on the arts and society. ■ conducts industry-wide research. ■ supports international cultural exchanges. ■ encourages community cultural development. ■ carries out initiatives to celebrate the new millennium. Partners with local, state, regional, and federal organizations. The NEA: ■ devotes 40% of its budget to partnerships with state arts agencies. ■ links state and local organizations in a cooperative system of arts support. ■ works with other federal agencies to include the arts in their programs. w J^ NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS fit lu ACCESS TO THE ARTS FOR ALL AMERICANS WE WILL: ■ sponsor projects that widely tour, broadcast, exhibit, present, and publish artistic work. ■ support more arts activities for persons in rural, inner-city, poor, and elderly communities. ■ provide insurance for exhibitions to present cultural treasures from abroad. ■ fund research on public participation in arts activities. ■ invest in new technologies that bring the arts to the public. Everyone deserves opportunities to experience the richness and diversity of our nation's artistic accomplishments. The Arts Endowment works to make the best of the arts available to all Americans. ^0 N A w TIOHAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS CREATION AND PRESENTATION OF ARTISTICALLY EXCELLENT WORK WE WILL: ■ invest in projects that commission, develop, present, or re-interpret works of art. ■ promote the creation and presentation of new works of art. ■ provide resources, time, and space for artists to create their work. ■ expand work opportunities for artists. ■ foster collaboration between artists and communities and across artistic disciplines. Millions of Americans enjoy thousands of performances, readings, exhibitions, and other presentations each year. Endowment funds foster the creation and public presentation of the paintings, plays, dances, poems, and musical works that enrich us all. ^t0 NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS V £ 'SA u\. r LIFELONG EDUCATION IN THE ARTS FOR ALL WE WILL: ■ help make the arts a part of basic K-12 education in American schools. ■ expand community-based arts education programs for children and adults. ■ support after-school programs in the arts for young people. ■ increase public understanding of the arts. ■ encourage professional development activities for artists, arts professionals, and teachers. Education in the arts has intrinsic value and also exerts a positive effect on children's overall academic achievement. It enriches adults by deepening their self-understanding and ties to the community. The Arts Endowment encourages lifelong learning in the arts to benefit everyone. 'national endowment for the ar-ts 1 h a o IA PRESERVATION OF OUR CULTURAL HERITAGE WE WILL: ■ preserve the art works, artifacts, and artistic practices of our nation's many cultural traditions. ■ fund apprenticeships that teach young people to carry on traditional art forms. ■ increase public awareness of our cultural heritage. ■ honor exceptional artists for their contributions to the nation. Our cultural heritage defines us as Americans. Major monuments, original American art forms such as film and modern dance, and the rich cultural traditions brought here by immigrants are all components of our national identity. The Endowment works to preserve our nation's cultural heritage and ensure its transmission to future generations. ^NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS K. k I #*' I /a Ill 1 J 1 STRONG AND STABLE ARTS ORGANIZATIONS WE WILL: ■ improve the organizational and financial capability of arts organizations. ■ disseminate results of model projects. ■ invest in a national data system to measure the size and financial condition of arts organizations. ■ help develop the next generation of arts leaders. ■ link arts organizations with other sectors of the economy. New market forces, information technology, and financing structures require museums, theaters, orchestras, and dance companies to find new management techniques. The Endowment helps arts organizations adopt successful management models, achieve financial stability, and maintain organizational health. W0 NATIONAL ENDOWMENT fOR THE f 1 COMMUNITY BUILDING THROUGH THE ARTS WE WILL: ■ promote and use the arts to make communities more livable. ■ support community-impact research on the arts. ■ improve the lives of children and youth through the arts. ■ help community-based coalitions apply arts- related solutions to economic development and social issues. ■ enhance public awareness of the importance of the arts to communities. The arts contribute to quality urban design, economic development, and help for at-risk youth. Endowment programs nationwide encourage a strong arts presence that can be a catalyst to a healthier community. NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS ENHANCED PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS WE WILL: ■ strengthen partnerships with state and local arts agencies, regional and national arts service organizations, universities, foundations, and other federal agencies. ■ convene representatives of the nonprofit and commercial sectors to discuss support for the arts. ■ conduct seminars for hinders concerning the importance of the arts. ■ develop new partnerships with the international community. The Endowment works closely with state and local arts agencies, as well as with other federal agencies. It is developing additional partnerships with the private sector, especially the business and commercial arts sectors, to optimize its role as America's national cultural agency. ^^ NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS !■, IA «9 THE ARTS ENDOWMENT: AN EFFECTIVE AGENCY Our strategic plan will be implemented by an innovative and productive agency. The Endowment recently reorganized itself as a leaner, more streamlined institution. We are constantly improving our effectiveness, efficiency, and service to the American people. The Arts Endowment collaborates with many different organizations to carry out its mission. Often they contribute additional funds to arts programs, multiplying the value of federal dollars. Our partners include arts and community organizations, businesses, foundations, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, state and local arts agencies, regional arts organizations, and other federal agencies. We will continue to make information about the arts and the NEA available to the public, expand our use of technology, conduct customer service surveys, and maximize the use of staff skills. As part of our national leadership role, we constantly seek ways to improve the delivery of our services and our interaction with the public. The Endowment's complete strategic plan is available online at http://arts.endow.gov, the Web site of the National Endowment for the Arts. *w NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE A Photographs: Liz Lerman Dance workshop, by Margaret Lawrence ss School artists, hnson oo Symphony instrument by John A. Lacko rnia Indian basketweaving, daYamane ts in class, courtesy of iinneapolis Institute of Arts rving the Santa Cruz Church, esy of Cornerstones Community blic-private Internet arts project, loto © by the Birmingham News, 1 999. All rights reserved. Reprinted National Endowment for the Arts 1 100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20506 202-682-5400 http://arts.endow.gov