Jim Bondelid, a CultureGrrl reader from Oreland, PA (a Philadelphia suburb), who volunteers at the Curtis Institute of Music, responds to my Cultural Conversation with Rocco Landesman that appeared in the Wall Street Journal:
As a fanatical lover of classical music, a sometime lover of modern
dance, and a middle-brow theater consumer, I doubt that I would prefer
Rocco Landesman’s Jujamcyn to the Roundabout. Thanks for the warning.
But having him in charge of spending my tax dollars is more worrisome.I have an idea: let’s institute a voucher system for the arts.
Distribute vouchers to taxpayers in proportion to their taxes which
they can spend at approved art institutions. The idea is to stimulate
demand rather than support supply. The vouchers could be donated to
middle schools and high schools for a tax deduction, too.This would
also help stimulate demand in the long run, as kids would receive an
arts education. People would choose the winners instead of an advisory
body. The NEA could decide which broad categories of art are eligible.
But the NEA does not need to give money to commercially successful
artists like rappers and country singers (whom I also love).