National Endowment for the Arts

John Frohnmayer, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), discussed significant improvements to the NEA’s grant making procedures and his reaction to the independent commission report released on Sept. 11, which reviews the funding policies of the NEA. The commission’s report will be used by congress as a tool to develop and revise the regulations governing the NEA. Created by congress in 1965, the NEA is an independent agency designed to encourage and support artists. Earlier this year, NEA-funded exhibits by Mapplethorp and Sorono created controversy over the artistic standards being used to grant awards. Chairman Frohnmayer described the fundamental mission of the NEA as resting on two equally strong pillars: artistic excellence and access to the American people. He detailed the NEA’s progress over the last year in adhering to the public trust of its mission. Chairman Frohnmayer is a lawyer who received his education from the University of Chicago and University of Or close