An Artist to Plead for Art

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Her appointment is no panacea. Clinton is unlikely to expand the endowment. While he campaigned against "content restrictions," his Justice Department has continued to defend a Bush-era ban on grantees who transgress "general standards of decency and respect for the diverse beliefs and values of the American public." Alexander has not spoken out since her name was raised, but is known to oppose content controls. Aides to Hillary Rodham Clinton boosted her. Says a participant: "Mrs. Clinton felt the endowment suffered from misinterpretation, innuendo and lies, that it needed a more visible face."

Alexander's personal credibility is not enough, warns John Frohnmayer, who fought the culture wars until President George Bush ousted him as NEA chief during last year's primaries: "Nobody can do that job alone. The President has to say, 'This is my personal choice, someone I have confidence in and designate to carry out something critically important to my Administration.' "

Representative Philip Crane of Illinois, who called for abolishing the NEA and helped induce the House to cut its allocation, argues that private-sector financing for the arts exceeds $9 billion a year, making the NEA superfluous. Arts organizations reply that every penny is needed and that an NEA grant confers vital legitimacy -- precisely why conservatives have been so fervent about denying money for art that does not meet their mores. Says William Patton, executive director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival: "Being recognized by the NEA is the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval."

When Alexander went before Yates' subcommittee in 1990, she said, "I find it astonishing that after 25 years we are not celebrating the enormous success of the NEA. Rather, we're put in a position of defending it. The family of art produces ugly babies as well as beautiful ones, but we have to embrace all of that family." After a career embracing that whole family with unflinching honesty, Alexander is ready to put her artistry and income on hold to live up to those words.