In the current economic climate, the arts and liberal arts, traditionally closely linked, are struggling separately for survival in higher education. The arguments made for them tend to be linked to practical issues. However, a liberal arts education provides students with a foundation on which to build the capacity to create and appreciate…

Argues that, if higher education is serious about achieving sustained policy to support the arts, it must build consensus about the value of art, artists, and artistic freedom. Politically, more attention is given to tactics than to underlying philosophy. Trend data for National Endowment for the Arts funding and state arts funding in New England…