Public Agency

The Arts Education Partnership (AEP) is a private, nonprofit coalition of education, arts, business, philanthropic, and government organizations that was formed in 1995 through a cooperative agreement among four agencies: the NEA, the U.S. Education Department, the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, and the Council of Chief State School Officers. Its purpose is "to demonstrate and promote the essential role of arts education in enabling all students to succeed in school, life, and work.”

Most of us initially became acquainted with Kraft Foods as we consumed some of their products at an early age. My grandmother introduced me to the macaroni and cheese. Nowadays, I go for the Toblerone chocolate...frequently. Meanwhile, as the products filled our refrigerators and pantry shelves, the company thrived and so did the company's giving efforts, which date back to 1937.

Throughout human history, certain cities and regions have come to be regarded as pinnacles of human creativity and innovation. Sir Peter Hall, in his landmark book, Cities in Civilization, examines the underlying conditions that led to the emergence of "cultural crucibles" in Athens, Florence, London, Vienna, and Berlin.

The need to better understand and articulate the broad societal value of arts and culture is at the heart of a discussion among a growing circle of arts grantmakers and scholars in the U.S.

1999, 316 pages, $22.50 (softcover); New York University Press, New York and London

I have had, with my friend Wes Jackson, a number of useful conversations about the necessity of getting out of movements — even movements that have seemed necessary and dear to us — when they have lapsed into self-righteousness and self-betrayal, as movements seem almost invariably to do. People in movements too readily learn to deny to others the rights and privileges they demand for themselves. They too easily become unable to mean their own language, as when a “peace movement” becomes violent.

1999, 40 pages, $15; National Performance Network, San Francisco, California, 415-666-1870, info@npnweb.org

Attending arts events is exhilarating, inspiring, and full of meaning. For years I've wished more people could have that experience. Why don't more people enjoy and appreciate the work that means so much to me? It's not just those who have different values, but people who are similar, with the same educational and demographic attributes — even members of my own family. If I can't convince them to become active participants, who can I convince?

November 1999, 98 pages, developed in cooperation with the Arts Education Partnership and the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities, funded by the G.E. Fund and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

A growing chorus of complaint has emerged about foundation giving in recent years. According to critics, foundations do not distribute enough in grant payments to justify their privileged position. On average, foundations pay out about 5.5 percent of their total assets each year and many critics believe that is just not enough.