The Growing Of Culture

© 1999 The Boston Globe

   On the beach of life, culture is often the 98-pound weakling. Congressional bullies kick sand on the national endowments for the arts and the humanities. Sports stadiums draw public dollars; opera houses crumble. 
   But a new effort stands to give culture more muscle. Through its multimillion-dollar project “Optimizing America's Cultural Resources,'' the Pew Charitable Trusts is addressing the nation's cultural policies. 
   The Pew initiative talks of building a stronger “cultural policy community.'' While this may sound like upbeat-speak for culture police who crack down on free expression, Pew has something very different in mind. It points to environmental activism as a role model, noting that 35 years ago environmental issues had little political support. Activists and philanthropy changed that; a similar approach could help culture and the arts. 
   The initiative has three components: establishing a central national source for data and information; expanding advocacy and media coverage; and measuring the impact of cultural programs. 
   Information is essential. The national information bank should provide insights on everything from improving children's education to how cultural organizations can contribute to suburban and inner-city communities. 
   There are risks. Just the word “culture'' can stir up unproductive debates. One question Pew asks is, “Does our system enable gifted artists to earn a living and to contribute fully to our economy and society?'' This suggests that properly supported, artists could be a source of economic prosperity. But the query could be misinterpreted as a call for handouts to the lazy. The initiative will have to guard against such mudslinging. 
   Devising a flexible cultural framework that won't harden into dogma will take hard, pioneering work. Europe, with its tradition of government patronage, isn't a role model, Pew concludes. Instead, America will have to devise its own approach to supporting the arts, a noble challenge on a promising frontier.