Media Release

Public Funding for the Arts Matters

Art is for everyone. Public funding is about access and opportunity—investing in the marvelous diversity of human expression, sharing those perspectives among us all, and making us stronger as a nation. 

On the ground in Kansas, public funding for the arts and humanities broadens our understanding of the world by offering everyone access to cultural and creative experiences close to home. The Spencer Museum of Art, along with many other local and regional organizations, has been privileged to serve our many communities because of the stalwart support of the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. 

The support of these federal agencies has touched hundreds of thousands of visitors to our galleries. Grants to preserve and care for our collection ensure its educational value for current and future generations. Support for our exhibitions and public programs opens doors to meaningful experiences for visitors of all ages, from elementary students first discovering art, to young adults studying at the University of Kansas, to lifelong learners in our community and beyond.

Public funding for the arts is ultimately about supporting creative endeavors for all citizens, in every state across this country. It is essential to thriving communities and to the educational and cultural development of our diverse nation.

Saralyn Reece Hardy
Marilyn Stokstad Director of the Spencer Museum of Art