The Arts and State Governments

At Arm's Length or Arm in Arm?

Julia F. Lowell and Elizabeth Heneghan Ondaatje

2006, 68 pages. RAND Corporation, 1776 Main Street, P.O. Box 2138, Santa Monica, CA 90407-2138, 310-451-7002, order@rand.org. The Wallace Foundation, 5 Penn Plaza, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10001, 212-251-9700

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The second in a series, this report suggests that state arts agencies take a more strategic approach to relationships with legislators and the public. Commissioned by the Wallace Foundation, the study finds that the usual "arm's length" relationship between state arts agencies and government, while protecting artistic freedom, also creates political isolation that weakens the case for more public support of the arts. Two case studies