released 5/9/2025

In this interview from 2008, historian David A. Smith discusses the role of the arts in American democracy since the 1960s. Smith tells the story of how the American world of art — confused about its aesthetic bearings — was taken over by various political agendas. The legislative founders of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) believed that the art government would fund would play a social role in promoting the unity of the nation. They wanted the artistic world, funded by the NEA, to combat individualism, elevate society above crass materialism, and provide a counterweight to the dominance of science. Artists, however, had a different idea of the role of their art, and showed it in the critical nature of their work. Not realizing that the trajectory of the artistic world was one of political challenge and criticism, politicians were surprised to see how politically divisive art could be. Smith argues that the artistic world neglected to realize that the very politicization of the art rendered it powerless to play a role in bringing about human solidarity for the common good.

A shorter version of this interview was included on Volume 96 of the Journal.

52 minutes

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