After the Art Wars.

NATIONAL Endowment for the Arts; UNITED States civilization; GOVERNMENT aid to the arts; HISTORY of art & state; GIOIA, Dana, 1950-; BUSH, George W. (George Walker), 1946-; UNITED States social conditions, 1945-; CULTURE conflict; HISTORY

This article discusses the mission and history of the United States' National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The author compares and contrasts the initial mission of the NEA in 1965 with its activities during the presidency of George W. Bush. The author highlights the influence of the culture wars of the 1960s and changing attitudes concerning the nature of art as contributing to the NEA scaling back its initial ambitious requirements for art funding.