Fine Arts Are in Survival Mode as Funds Dry Up

"Those jobs are every bit as important as an auto industry worker," Lynch says. He says 10,000 arts groups employing 260,000 artists and support workers could close this year.

Brian Riedl, a federal budget analyst at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, sees it differently.

"When families are struggling to make ends meet, $50 million going to the arts means $50 million less to help families put food on the table," Riedl says.