The Art Patronage System Of The United States And The Rise Of Its Contemporary Art

Being an immigrant country with a history of less than 250 years, the United States has never had a Ministry of Culture, nor had it have a constant policy to promote the development of art and culture. But within a couple of decades after WWII, based on strong military and economic power, it successfully deprived Paris of the crown of World Art Center and made New York the global center of contemporary art. After Abstract Expressionism and Pop Art gained international fame, American contemporary art, film, music, sports, technology as well as life style swept the world, which should be attributed to a highly effective and professional art patronage system.As the descendants of puritans, frugality was the guideline of American life. Military and economic development was the first priority of the government, while art was not. It was until 1930’s that the American government started to sponsor art for the sake of unemployment relief and reinvigorating its collapsing economy. After WWII, the United Stated started the Cold War to fight for world hegemony with the former Soviet Union. Art happened to become the main weapon. Not only to attain the dominating power but also to promote the quality of the American public, the government decided to involve itself in art and culture. The elite class designed an art patronage system, with the government as the guiding party, private sector bearing the main responsibility, tax exemption as the guarantee. In 1965, President Lyndon Johnson created the National Endowment for the Arts (the NEA), responsible for promoting the development of American art with public fund. Since then, the NEA has witnessed the rise and development of American art and culture, and has greatly encouraged the collaboration and balance of national art patronage and social art patronage.If the NEA’s positioning is the guider, private art patron is the big hand which facilitated the rise of American contemporary art. The Americans have the complex of philanthropy, and the rich are willing to feedback its fortune to community. They prefer to cooperate with the government, helping them maintain the benefit of the country and advance the society. They have invented a unique, professional, rational and effective system, such as matching fund, special fund, capital leverage and professional review, so as to avoid crony, redundant investment and bureaucratization. They have been continuously sponsored American art and culture, supported and maintained its development and prosperity, together with the government and other institutions.The article consists of five chapters. Chapter one cleared up the evolution of the American cultural policy as well as the formation of American art patronage system from historical perspectives. Chapter Two gives a panorama view of the operation of NEA and its art patronage activities, aiming to show NEA’s leading role of top-level design in American art patronage system. Chapter Three analysis the art patronage activities in private sector, which is the dominant financial channel as well as its support and collaboration with the government. Chapter Four is a case study of NEA’s visual art program, taking "individual Artist grant" and "Art in Public places" as examples, in order to elaborate how the American Art Patronage System to give a significant push to the rise of American contemporary art. Chapter Five comes to the conclusion on the strength and weakness of American art patronage system and provides some valuable suggestion on the formation and operation of China’s art patronage system.