Inequality and arts funding

[chickenfeet2003]

The United States is unique in the "Western world" in that its major artistic and cultural institutions are almost entirely dependent on ticket sales and donations for their funding. In practice both components; the first largely and the second almost entirely rely on the generosity or sense of obligation of rich people. One might therefore

Comments

[melted_snowball]

Donations to universities have done fairly well in the past while, but while we're charities, we're also one of the fundamental institutions of the ruling class, to such an extent that donations to us aren't just about generosity. [See also: legacy admissions.] [Though, then again, donations to opera or theatre are also not just about generosity, either...]

I wonder how much money is swirling around the arts in areas of the US that are richer. Detroit, obviously, isn't doing all that well (my favourite Detroit cultural institution was having problems a while ago, too). Are there new serious cultural institutions being started in, say, Austin or San Jose?