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Do consumers know enough to assess the true value of art? A study of beliefs and attitudes toward the NEA
Author(s) -
Ottley Gary,
Hanna Richard
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
journal of public affairs
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.221
H-Index - 20
eISSN - 1479-1854
pISSN - 1472-3891
DOI - 10.1002/pa.1654
Subject(s) - the arts , value (mathematics) , public value , endowment , government (linguistics) , sociology , conceptualization , public relations , arts in education , economics , political science , law , linguistics , philosophy , machine learning , artificial intelligence , computer science
Contemporary society tends to ascribe economic value to works of art, often neglecting the inherent cultural and social value of art in favor of an aesthetically driven conceptualization of “value.” The largest single financial supporter of nonprofit arts and arts education in the United States—the National Endowment of the Arts—is charged with supporting arts of all types, and not just those that the general public decides are of aesthetic or monetary value. This paper compares how the government of the United States funds nonprofit art initiatives through the National Endowment of the Arts, with how members of the American public perceive the importance and value of art being funded. It provides evidence of beliefs held by the general public about the inherent role and value of the arts in contemporary society. It also offers suggestions for how marketing principles and techniques might be engaged to reduce gaps in the public's knowledge about the arts.