Arts Funding

President Trump’s proposed budget indicates he wishes to cut funding to the arts and there are many out there complaining about those proposed budget cuts.

In my travels I have driven past the Orange County Museum of Art in Southern California many times and observed a 28-foot piece of art on display on the outside of the museum. This particular piece of art has a representation of urine running down the side of the museum. The OCMA’s website thanks those government agencies who are supporting the museum by becoming members. In other words, taxpayers are members of the OCMA.

The OCMA website states that their vision is to “build a destination museum that is locally relevant and internationally significant.”

When I first drove by the OCMA and viewed their display outside I definitely decided it would never be a destination for me. It is crazy to think that this Newport Beach display is “locally relevant.” As for being a museum that is significant internationally, I can only imagine what others think in the world when they have the opportunity to view this exhibit.  The word embarrassment comes to mind.

I want to think art can stand on its own and would be supported by those paying to view or purchase the art and those who wish to send their own donations to the facilities that display art.

Taxpayers have no business paying for the arts, especially when it includes the adolescent display of a 28-foot dog lifting his leg over the top of the museum and urinating. It makes me angry as I feel like government agencies that belong to the museum are pissing hard earned tax dollars away.

It is the voting taxpayer who is to blame as they put the elected representatives who made the decision to support the construction of [this display].

Voters, it is time to use your heads at the ballot box.