[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 146 (Friday, October 17, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2084-E2085]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E2084]]
                       REMARKS OF ROBERT REDFORD

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. NORMAN D. DICKS

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 17, 2003

  Mr. DICKS. Mr. Speaker, I was honored last month to attend the annual 
Nancy Hanks Lecture at the Kennedy Center, an annual tribute to the 
memory of the woman who served as the Chair of the National Endowment 
for the Arts from 1969 to 1977. Each year a prominent American is asked 
to deliver personal remarks about the importance of the arts in public 
policy, and it was a great pleasure this year to hear from the 
accomplished actor, Robert Redford, who delivered a poignant, funny and 
meaningful address about the importance of supporting creativity and 
artistic development in our Nation. I am very pleased to bring his 
remarks to the attention of my colleagues in the House of 
Representatives.

                       Remarks of Robert Redford

       I've been coming to Washington, D.C. for the past 30 years, 
     either filming here, as was the case in All the President's 
     Men, or for lobbying efforts on behalf of issues relating to 
     the environment, energy, human rights and art. In the 
     beginning, it was a heady experience to be in the halls of 
     power surrounded by history and event, feeling what it is 
     like to be an integral part of a democracy--particularly if 
     you were fortunate enough to move someone on an important 
     issue.
       In time, you experience changes in political climates, 
     different attitudes and priorities. The strength of the 
     system that controls decisions and compromises became clear 
     over time, and expectations of success had to be tendered 
     with failure relating to these realities. But still, you feel 
     fortunate to have access to the ears that made decisions.
       Even though you knew that celebrity was maybe a door 
     opener, it nonetheless cuts both ways in politics. Like the 
     time I was on the Presidential campaign trail and speaking to 
     thousands of kids on a college campus about the importance of 
     their vote and environmental issues. In the roar of their 
     connection with what I was saying, I thought for a moment 
     ``I'm really getting through here!'' Then I walked off stage 
     and immediately a reporter stuck a microphone in my face and 
     said, ``Who do you think is better looking, you or Dan 
     Quayle?
       So, just when you might be feeling your oats, reality has a 
     way of sneaking up and putting it all in perspective. But as 
     a citizen and an artist, I try to remember that it is a right 
     and a responsibility to be able to partake in the process of 
     democracy.
       I'm here today because of my belief that art is a great 
     translator of that which is both familiar and unfamiliar and 
     that it is through art that we can come to know ourselves and 
     others. To me, the vitality and insight which art brings to 
     civil society is more important now than ever.
       I grew up in a time when democracy was taken for granted 
     since it was drummed into our minds as a fundamental 
     definition of America and why it was great. I was shaped by 
     WW II and a time when we were all united in its purpose--
     unlike conflicts of today. Because times were tough, and my 
     family financial resources slim, we didn't have fancy toys or 
     luxuries and had to be creative in inventing worlds of our 
     own. My imagination was my most valuable commodity and 
     thankfully it became a life force for me at a very young age. 
     I saw the world around me not only as it was. I saw the world 
     around me as it could be. Art and the imagination that gave 
     it life became my closest companions.
       Before anyone was much interested in what I had to say, 
     they were interested in what I created. As a kid, I remember 
     sketching everything in sight. My parents and their friends 
     played cards and I began drawing them as a group, individual 
     faces and the like. Then I moved under the table and began 
     sketching their feet at which point I think everyone started 
     to worry. Even though they thought I was a bit weird, I got 
     attention and encouragement for my ``art'' at a young age.
       While I was a poor student academically, I shined in sports 
     and in art and my third grade teacher was next to recognize 
     that art was a legitimate means of expression for me as I 
     struggled with more traditional approaches.
       I remember she had me come to the front of the room and 
     draw a story on this big pad of newsprint on an easel. I 
     think we were studying English and she used it as a basis to 
     make a point. The whole class seemed to get it and all 
     learned a little about sentence structure and storytelling in 
     ways that engaged and made sense. I didn't know what ``it'' 
     was that they got, but it sure felt good.
       My teacher's encouragement of my artistic tendencies 
     continued, making me realize art. was something legitimate to 
     pursue and that it was integral to how I was finding my way 
     in this world and making sense of things. If not for this, I 
     may have taken a path that wasn't as fulfilling and 
     productive. That's the main reason I'm here, to pay tribute 
     to the work that so many of you do every day, to keep art 
     alive in schools and in communities all across the country.
       Being in this hall tonight prompted me to remember some of 
     the writings of President John F. Kennedy. I became 
     reacquainted with a speech he gave in 1963 at Amherst College 
     where he paid tribute to the American poet Robert Frost, and 
     reflected on the value of the arts to a society. It was less 
     than a month before his assassination. ``I look forward to an 
     America which will reward achievement in the arts as we 
     reward achievement in business or statecraft. I look forward 
     to an America, which will steadily raise the standards of 
     artistic accomplishment and will steadily enlarge cultural 
     opportunities for all of our citizens.''--John F. Kennedy.
       To me, art, in all its forms, is the purest reflection of 
     the most diverse aspects of us as individuals, as 
     communities, as nations and as cultures. It's art that feeds 
     and nurtures the soul of a society; provokes thought; 
     inspires critical thinking; and fosters understanding of 
     things foreign to our own immediate world. In the end, art 
     plays a primary role in encouraging healthy tolerance of 
     diversity in any culture. In times like these--in this very 
     hour--more of this kind of encouragement would serve us well. 
     Joseph Campbell felt that a society without mythology was 
     doomed. I feel the same way about the role that art can play 
     in a society's sustainable future. On the surface, it may not 
     have the weight of the SEC, the Dept. of Defense, or Social 
     Security and other programs that may be easier to quantify. 
     But it is still a part of the whole. More importantly, it 
     exemplifies one of our great, maybe our greatest critical 
     luxuries--freedom of expression.
       Throughout the 80s and into the 90s, battles over free 
     expression were furious and frequent. On the one side, the 
     perception that art was undermining the moral fabric of our 
     society began to stick and took on a life of its own and it 
     became the order of the day. When the moralistic posturing 
     gave way to the rationale to cut funding, for a time it was 
     the political value of attacking the arts that increased 
     significantly in stature. By falsely positioning the debate 
     as one of morals and money, these forces hoped to use fear to 
     obscure the real truth--0the value of art to every 
     community--and fear is a very dangerous platform to work off 
     of.
       I wondered then, why aren't they going after tabloid media 
     or corporate greed with such a vengeance? Why isn't there the 
     same fervor about the dismal state of literacy in our 
     schools, the AIDS epidemic, or homeless men, women and 
     children? Why is the zeal not pointed at the virtual flood of 
     guns and drugs into our nation's streets, or pollution into 
     our air and water and the resulting public health 
     implications? When has a painting ever instigated the 
     destruction of a culture? Is a song or a play, a painting or 
     a photograph that much of a threat to our nation's well 
     being? That notion seems particularly absurd in light of the 
     larger threats we are currently facing.
       Luckily the collective voice against this trend won out, 
     and of course, the political winds changed substantially. 
     And, while the cultural wars may have subsided, they still 
     rear their ugly head too frequently. But there's more than 
     one way to strangle the arts and today, funding cuts being 
     discussed all across this country at all levels of government 
     could paint a truly devastating picture when all is said and 
     done.
       As most of you know all too well, when the economy is in as 
     bad a shape as it is now, art becomes the ``throw-away.'' Art 
     and art education becomes the funding cut they feel won't 
     have a tangible effect. In other words, it's the cut from 
     which they think nobody will suffer and they think nobody 
     will notice its absence. Well that's not true. It may take a 
     while to get it, but society at large will suffer and I 
     believe, society at large will ultimately notice.
       Government support for the arts is not the frivolous give-
     away that some would have you believe. It's a good investment 
     and it is sound economic development. Art and public policy 
     is good business. Let's look at the financial stake 
     government has in the arts. The non-profit arts world is 
     roughly a $134 billion a year industry, employing millions. 
     It generates nearly $81 billion in spending by those who 
     partake in its cultural offerings and is responsible for some 
     $24 billion in taxes going back to federal, state and local 
     governments annually
       And, this doesn't take into consideration the impact the 
     non-profit sector has as the training ground for writers, 
     musicians, actors, dancers, painters, photographers, 
     filmmakers and the like. It doesn't take into consideration 
     the ultimate effect these people and their work have on a 
     thriving multi-billion dollar private sector.
       So, supporting the arts is good business and the numbers 
     bear this out. It's also good public policy. A study by the 
     Justice Dept., Americans for the Arts and the NEA 
     demonstrated that arts programs helped at-risk-youth stay out 
     of trouble, perform better in school and improve how they 
     felt about themselves and their future. How do you put a 
     price on that?
       Yet, President Bush recommended virtually no increase for 
     arts grants administered by the NEA. President Bush also 
     recommended terminating funding of the Arts in Education 
     program, which is administered through the Dept. of 
     Education. State legislatures all across the country are 
     making substantial cuts. Several states proposed wiping out 
     their entire state budget for the arts.
       Are these federal and state governments missing something 
     in turning their backs on the arts? You bet they are. We need 
     people in

[[Page E2085]]

     office who will have a vision for our country that goes 
     beyond the next election. We need people in office who 
     understand that encouraging creative pursuit could be 
     critical to any number of sectors, from the next great 
     technological idea to the next historic medical discovery. 
     How do you put a price on that?
       Creativity is made all the more special because it is a 
     great intangible. It can come from the most unlikely places 
     and from those that might not fit the ``traditional'' model 
     of the artist. Creativity is inherent in all great endeavors 
     whether traditionally artistic or not. It is creativity that 
     must continue to be nurtured if we hope to reap the benefits 
     of the many great minds we don't yet know. How do you put a 
     price on that?
       Yes there are pressing needs all around us. But completely 
     ceasing to fund the arts is sadly shortsighted in any 
     economy. Governments have to find a way to remain in the mix 
     of resources for the arts and the private sector--
     corporations, foundations and individuals--they all need to 
     find ways to help fill the gap during these tough times such 
     as we're in now.
       And that includes my industry, which benefits greatly from 
     a vital and thriving artistic force. When one thinks of 
     Hollywood, art isn't necessarily the first thing to come to 
     mind. Some would say it is often anti-art. No. It's first a 
     business. But it is a business that cannot exist without 
     creative talent in every facet of the making of its product. 
     So, in the end, the challenge to create art still rests 
     squarely on the artist not the industry. As in any medium, 
     sometimes we succeed and sometimes we fail. But we succeed 
     often enough to create films that inspire, expose, transform 
     and provoke, amuse, entertain and even teach.
       Just as all other arts did at the moment of their own 
     conception, cinema transformed the world. For good or for 
     bad, it is a universal communicator on a global platform. 
     Film is an indigenous American art form even though it's 
     always been a struggle to have it taken seriously as an art 
     form. But we can't deny that business has significantly 
     infiltrated the practice of art in general, and in particular 
     film. The constant talk of grosses--dollars and cents as the 
     benchmark of a film's worth--is very debilitating to the body 
     of serious film discussion and appreciation. And after all, 
     where would the business of film be without art as its seed.
       While mine is a somewhat solid industry, it will be 
     important in the years to come for it to embrace risks as 
     readily as it does sure things. It must make sure that 
     freedom of artistic expression is honored and nurtured across 
     a broad spectrum. I believe strongly that keeping diversity 
     alive in my industry will keep the industry alive.
       For example, the Sundance Institute is a step toward making 
     sure diverse voices and the creative energy they bring with 
     them are given an opportunity to grow and evolve. Those who 
     come to the Sundance labs to make films and those who come to 
     the Festival, to show films really are a microcosm of the 
     kind of diverse voices which our industry needs to continue 
     to support and nurture if it wants to maintain itself. They 
     are also the kind of voices that will join in characterizing 
     us to the rest of the world in the years to come. It's all 
     connected.
       Even after two decades, Sundance continues to be a 
     community work in progress, success and failure 
     simultaneously evident, treating failure as a step toward 
     growth, rather than the destruction of a vision. I look at 
     the Sundance Film Festival and the innovative hustle 
     demonstrated by scores of young filmmakers to bring their 
     vision to the screen. They haven't curled up and died because 
     they can't get government backing for their projects. Somehow 
     they find a way. But I'm sure if I took a quick poll, I'd 
     find that most of them found art, found their voice, in 
     neighborhood, community and school arts programs. That's 
     where they began the dance with the wonders of creativity.
       By the way, I started the Sundance Institute with a grant 
     from the NEA when many others were skeptical of the idea's 
     potential and ultimate worth. I will always be grateful to 
     the NEA for believing in us at the time. It was instrumental 
     in getting us started. It wasn't just the seed funding, but 
     the seal of approval that gave the idea impetus.
       What most of you know that maybe others don't is that out 
     there right now is some kid with a great song in their head 
     we've yet to hear or a novel in their heart that has yet to 
     be written. There's someone out there that hasn't picked up a 
     paintbrush yet but has a masterpiece on the horizon. There's 
     a kid out there who hasn't picked up a camera yet but could 
     end up making a memorable film of their time.
       What most of you know that others might not as clearly see, 
     is that the nurturing of creativity comes into play in 
     everything from world diplomacy to world economics, business 
     endeavors to social endeavors and everything in between. It 
     is creativity that gives all of it the nuance that often 
     makes the difference. In all its forms, art plays a critical 
     role in finding our way as people and as a culture.
       As President Kennedy said that day in Amherst: ``I see 
     little more importance to the future of our country and our 
     civilization than full recognition of the place of the 
     artist. If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, 
     society must set the artist free to follow his vision 
     wherever it takes him.''
       We hear the word freedom bandied about a lot these days. 
     It's a sacred concept. How fortunate we are to have it. How 
     viscerally we need to feel the commitment to protect it. To 
     be able to be part of a freedom of expression that allows us 
     to tell stories of our choice in the uniqueness of our own 
     voices as citizens and as artists is not to be taken lightly. 
     To be able to freely voice dissent in our hearts or in our 
     art is something to protect at all costs. But then, the glory 
     of art is that it can, not only survive change, it can 
     inspire change.
       It is for all these reasons that it behooves governments to 
     sustain an environment that enables, supports and nurtures 
     the free and creative expression of its citizenry.
       I have great hope for the future of art and thus civil 
     society as I look out over this room, and imagine the 
     collective power, the collective voice that will not cower in 
     the face of budget slashing critics, and will not surrender 
     its advocacy for art and free expression. My hope comes from 
     not only those gathered here tonight, but from the efforts of 
     grassroots, state and national organizations; young artists I 
     meet at Sundance film labs; inner-city elementary school kids 
     who are learning to play music and write poetry; the literary 
     and theater programs in prisons; and traveling exhibitions to 
     rural communities all across the country.
       Thank you to the co-sponsors of this evening. To Americans 
     for the Arts my gratitude for your tireless and effective 
     advocacy on behalf of art and all that comes with that. You 
     truly make a difference and we're all the better for it. And 
     to the Film Foundation a recognition and respect for the 
     important work you do to inspire young artists through 
     education and for protecting and restoring some of the 
     greatest films of all time and thus enabling the diverse 
     perspective of it all to live on.
       Lastly, it is an honor to pay tribute to the memory and the 
     contribution of Nancy Hanks whom I knew and remember fondly. 
     Nancy Hanks had a profoundly gifted perspective on cultural 
     policy in the United States, that being access to the 
     arts. Her legacy is the success of many of your programs; 
     the creative mastery of many of the artists here tonight; 
     and the commitment to freedom of expression that we 
     collectively embrace. The life she lived really meant 
     something.
       So we go forth from here tonight to continue to try to 
     enlighten those who dismiss the arts as unnecessary, 
     irrelevant or dangerous. And we do so not only in the memory 
     of Nancy Hanks, but in the name of the active and deserving 
     imagination of every American child.

                          ____________________