Arts Groups Lose Out in Fight for Funds

After some political wrangling, the restrictive language was removed, and the NEA got $50 million. Some arts advocates championed the funding, noting it represented a third of the NEA's typical annual budget. But others found it lacking amid the severe recession.

In the $787 billion stimulus package, funding for the arts is a "drop in the bucket," says philanthropist Eli Broad, the founder of home builder KB Homes and financial titan SunAmerica, and a big art donor.