CETA Employment of Artists (1974-1981)

CETA
U.S. Congress
  • Comprehensive Employment and Training Act
Enacted byU.S. Congress
EnactedDecember 28, 1973
Signed byPresident Richard Nixon
Effective1974
Administered byCity and State agencies
Legislative history
Bill titleS. 1559, the Job Training and Community Services Act
Bill citationPub. L. 93-203 Job Training and Community Services Act
Introduced bySenator Gaylord Nelson
Keywords
artist relief, art jobs program, federal artist employment, public art
Status: Repealed

CETA Employment of Artists (1974–1981) refers to the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA), which federally employed more than 10,000 artists – visual, performing, and literary – during a span of eight years. This was the largest number of artists supported by Federal funding since the Works Progress Administration (WPA) of the 1930s. It is estimated that an additional 10,000 arts support staff were funded as well.[1] During its peak year, 1980, CETA funding for arts employment funneled up to $300 million (more than $1 billion in 2020 dollars) into the cultural sector – and the economy – of the United States.[2] In comparison, the National Endowment for the Arts budget that year was $159 million.[3]

Unlike the WPA, which included artists in its original design through five specific projects, CETA was designed as a generalized program to provide training and employment for economically disadvantaged, unemployed, and underemployed persons. In addition, federal funding was decentralized under CETA, taking the form of block grants to States, which were then parceled out to county and municipal governments. More than 500 local authorities received funding.[4] In some cities, such as San Francisco, Chicago and New York City, CETA artist employment was organized primarily through centrally administered projects. In most cities and counties, CETA funding was awarded directly to nonprofit organizations for the hiring of artists and arts administrators. Nationally, CETA funding in the arts was based primarily on a service model; rather than being paid for artistic production alone, artists served as teachers, project leaders, ensemble performers and administrators.

  1. ^ The Sculpture of Ruth Asawa, Chapter 6: "The CETA Years, 1975-1980," by John Kriedler, University of California Press, November 18, 2006, ISBN 978-0520250451
  2. ^ "CETA and the Arts: Analyzing the Results of a Groundbreaking Federal Job Program". Art in the Public Interest. 17 February 2015. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
  3. ^ Linda Frye Burnham and Steven Durland, editors,CETA and the Arts: Analyzing the Results of a Groundbreaking Federal Job Program, Oct 19, 2011
  4. ^ Linda Frye Burnham and Steven Durland, editors,CETA and the Arts: Analyzing the Results of a Groundbreaking Federal Job Program, Oct 19, 2011

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