Sally Steenland, Senior Policy Adviser for Faith and Progressive Policy at Center for American Progress, moderated a CAP panel on Tuesday about the role of arts and culture in the United States. The event featured Robert Lynch, President and CEO of Americans for the Arts, and Bill Ivey, former head of the National Endowment for the Arts and author of Arts, Inc.: How Greed and Neglect Have Destroyed Our Cultural Rights. Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN) gave opening remarks and also participated in the panel.

Ivey’s book was the focus of the panel discussion. The panelists contributed to a definition of culture, which they saw as broader than “Culture”–often considered as limited to the opera, symphony, and ballet. Instead, the panelists defined culture with a small “c” as encompassing a rich national heritage and the capacity for each individual to have an expressive life.  The panelists agreed that federal policy concerning the arts was not the major solution to preserving a shared cultural heritage and strengthening cultural expression. Grassroots participation and activism was crucial as well. 

They differed regarding one of the major recommendations in Ivey’s book: the creation of a federal cabinet-level Department of Cultural Affairs that would provide an integrated approach to cultural legislation, regulation, and funding. While Lynch agreed that it might be a good idea to appoint an official to deal with cultural matters in a coherent way, Rep. Cooper stressed that they had to “get real about the politics” and delineate the problems before urging such a big change Finally, the panel looked to the environmental movement as a guide for what can happen when big ideas and detailed policy are used to achieve common goals.

Video and full transcript available.