Supporting the Arts

I thought it was really great to read about how much thought goes into the making of public art. When I see a piece of art in a public place, I never really thought about how it got there and why. I would just enjoy it. Now I know that public art projects not only benifit the viewers but the artists themselves. Having public art encourages visual artists to have a voice within thier own city, and also enriches the daily lives of it's people. I really think that setting aside a percentage of money just for public art installations is a great idea, as well as a vital one too.
I also never realized how much Artist Trust did for working artists. For one thing, they help artists make sure that they can stay working. I thought it was interesting just how far thier help reached into different fields, like emergency relief and health care for artists in need. It was also interesting to see how Artist Trust has evolved and not evolved. One example is when people suggested that they support students and teachers as well, but that they decided that the program should still focus on supporting working artists in their art-making.