Funding the Arts:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/entertainment/jan-june97/arts_3-10.html
The Online Newshour. FUNDING THE ARTS March 10, 1997 TRANSCRIPT.
This year's battle over federal funding for the arts began today. Arts advocates from more than 80 organizations gathered in Washington to lobby for preserving federal support for the National Endowment for the Arts. Advocates say the endowment is crucial for their work through the country. After a background report, Elizabeth Farnsworth leads a discussion of federal art funding with actor Alec Baldwin, New Orlean's mayor Marc Morial, art historian Alice Goldfarb Marquis and writer William Craig Rice.

NEA Funding Debate:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/entertainment/july-dec97/nea_7-23.html
The Online Newshour. THE ARTS: A CONGRESS DIVIDED JULY 23, 1997 TRANSCRIPT.
To fund or not to fund? That is the question. The debate: the House has voted to halt additional funding for the NEA; the Senate wants to maintain current spending. After a backgrounder by Charles Krause, Jim Lehrer leads a debate with members from the House and Senate.

Survey of Public Participation in the Arts -- Summary Report [.pdf]
http://arts.endow.gov/pub/Survey/SurveyPDF.html
NEA 1997 Sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts, the 1997 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts has recently been made available on the Web. The survey covers attendance at events in the visual and performing arts, use of broadcast and performance media by patrons of the arts, and the demographics of performers. Specifically, the survey gives statistics on numbers of attendees at artistic events and institutions (including museums) and frequency of attendance, and breaks the numbers down by region.

Symphony Survival:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/entertainment/jan-june97/symphony_3-26.html
The livelihood of the world arts community is very much dependent on private and public funding. As anyone involved in the arts will tell you, funding is limited, and the competition for careers and money in the arts is Olympian in proportion. Despite the controversy surrounding public funding for the arts and humanities, grants, internships and other opportunities to pursue a career in the arts do exist. If it's what you want, you can do it. Taking advantage of the web resources listed below may help. Foundations, Arts Councils and Similar Organizations Whether you're looking for money, an internship a job or information related to the arts, you'll eventually encounter organizations like the ones below trying to make art happen.

Foundations, Arts Councils and Similar Organizations
Whether you're looking for money, an internship a job or information related to the arts, you'll eventually encounter organizations like the ones below trying to make art happen:

National Endowment for the Arts:
http://www.nea.gov/
This site provides up to date information on NEA related activities.

National Endowment for the Humanities:
http://www.neh.fed.us/
The NEH is involved in funding for exhibitions, museums, preservation projects and documentaries related to the arts and humanities.

New York Foundation for the Arts:
http://www.artswire.org/nyfa/nyfa.html
The New York Foundation for the Arts enables contemporary artists to create and share their work, and provides the broader public with opportunities to experience and understand the arts.

Open Studio: The Arts Online
http://www.benton.org/openstudio/home.html
A national initiative of the Benton Foundation and National Endowment for the Arts. They provide Internet access and training to artists and nonprofit arts organizations to ensure that the communications environment of the 21st century thrives as a source of creative excellence and diversity.