Less arts money for Alaska?

Posted by arts_reviews

Posted: October 23, 2009 - 2:14 pm

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(First published in the Anchorage Daily News ArtBeat column on Aug. 30, 2009.)
Not as good as Alvin Ailey?: Maryann Sundown of Scammon Bay, performing at Quyana Night in Anchorage, 2006. Photo: Bill Roth

I'm still trying to weigh the ramifications of remarks in last week's New York Times article about Rocco Landesman, the new chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts.

In recent years, NEA funds have been spread through all congressional districts, meaning Alaska could expect roughly 1/435th of whatever money the Endowment hands out.

The article pointed out that Landesman is opposed to that approach.
"There is going to be some push-back from me about democratizing arts grants to the point where you really have to answer some questions about artistic merit., " he told the Times.

That might mean a larger piece of the pie for arts groups in major population areas and less money for perceived backwaters.
Like here.

The NEA head suggested as much when he said, "I don't know if there's a theater in Peoria, but I would bet that it's not as good as Steppenwolf or the Goodman."

I've never been to either of the illustrious Chicago institutions he named. Nor have I seen a play in Peoria, though I'm sure they have at least one company.

And he may well be right to conclude that theater in Chicago is better -- though given the subjective nature of art that is hardly a given.
But I feel uneasy about funneling money drawn from all citizens to a few big-name entities that some authority says are superior to those in smaller towns.

Maybe Alaska's theater companies aren't as academically esteemed as Chicago's. But if you live in Anchorage, Lake Michigan is a long way to go to see a show.

And who makes the call? Alvin Ailey is an OK dance company if you like the kind of terpsichore where people move their legs.

Some Alaskans prefer the in-place elegance of Yup'ik dance; it's ever so much more dignified, emotional, artistic. I don't know if there are Yup'ik dancers in New York, but I would bet that they're not as good as those in Scammon Bay or the Chevak Tanqik Dancers led by John Pingayak.

Landesman's predecessor, poet Dana Gioia, was an unabashed populizer and an artist himself; that probably influenced his "democratizing" approach.

Landesman, a producer, professionally accustomed to deals made behind closed doors, may favor a more elite attitude, with direction and decisions determined by a small, select corps of brokers.

There's nothing wrong with that as long as the final product benefits a broad segment of the population. A lot depends on execution.

But I hope the new chairman understands that there are critical and appreciative audiences outside the hub metropolises with which he is most familiar, people for whom Chicago's theater district is as remote as the moon. People in Peoria, Anchorage and Scammon Bay.

Find Mike Dunham online at adn.com/contact/mdunham or call 257-4332.

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