Saving Federal Arts Funds: Selling Culture as an Economic Force

Kate D. Levin, New York City’s cultural affairs commissioner, said she was perturbed by the nature of the debate. “There were serious disconnects between the reality and the perception of arts and culture,” she said.

“One of the profound things about culture is the amount of indirect employment and spending it generates,” she said. “Even the smallest organization can record the fact that the parking lot down the street and the dry cleaner around the corner and the restaurant nearby all do better when the organization is functioning.”