[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 33, Number 28 (Monday, July 14, 1997)]
[Page 1056]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Message to the Congress Transmitting the Report of the National 
Endowment for the Arts

July 11, 1997

To the Congress of the United States:

    It is my pleasure to transmit the Annual Report of the National 
Endowment for the Arts for 1996.
    One measure of a great nation is the vitality of its culture, the 
dedication of its people to nurturing a climate where creativity can 
flourish. By supporting our museums and theaters, our dance companies 
and symphony orchestras, our writers and our artists, the National 
Endowment for the Arts provides such a climate. Look through this report 
and you will find many reasons to be proud of our Nation's cultural life 
at the end of the 20th century and what it portends for Americans and 
the world in the years ahead.
    Despite cutbacks in its budget, the Endowment was able to fund 
thousands of projects all across America--a museum in Sitka, Alaska; a 
dance company in Miami, Florida; a production of a Eugene O'Neill play 
in New York City; a Whistler exhibition in Chicago; and artists in 
schools in all 50 States. Millions of Americans were able to see plays, 
hear concerts, and participate in the arts in their hometowns, thanks to 
the work of this small agency.
    As we set our priorities for the coming years, let's not forget the 
vital role the National Endowment for the Arts must continue to play in 
our national life. The Endowment shows the world that we take pride in 
American culture here and abroad. It is a beacon, not only of 
creativity, but of freedom. And let us keep that lamp brightly burning 
now and for all time.
                                            William J. Clinton
The White House,
July 11, 1997.