"It is the obligation and the function of all civilized governments to support the arts. That is the way it is .... A love of art helps the learning process. It helps you learn. All studies tell us that.....So here you have the situation: Mapplethorpe and Serrano, two grants totaling less than $50,000 out of a budget of $172 million, two grants going awry out of a total number of 85,000 successful ones, statistically insignificant. A sparrow belch in the center of a typhoon.

The harsh reality of increased restraints on the federal budget and efforts to curb the deficit should never force us to be silent about the value of the arts if we focus on our great strengths as a country: a public culture....Remember, we cannot get the job done unless we have the support of the people who are benefited the most, and in particular those of the rural and inner city areas. That's where many of these funds go, and should go. These people must tell others. They must speak out as to the great rewards and the thrilling successes and meaning, real meaning that music, dance, painting, and story-telling and other arts and humanities bring to their lives.

We are all caring people, caring about the arts, caring about the future of the arts, caring about the federal role in the arts. It is the obligation of us all to support the arts. It is a deeply personal task in each of you.....So each and every one of you in this wondrous auditorium of the arts must go out and tell the story. It's that simple. Tell them how the arts can bring wonder and joy and stimulate curiosity and give pleasure to drama and humor, and remember too that so many of us are truly privileged people. In our privileged state we become apathetic."

[Exceprt quotes from lecture]

On March 10, 1997, Alan K. Simpson served as the lecturer for the annual Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy presented at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts. The Honorable Alan K. Simpson recently retired from the United States Senate, where he was a longtime leader in support of the arts. His outstanding commitment to our nation's cultural agencies extends beyond his role as a Senator to his civic contributions as a dedicated board member, devoted patron and valued advisor to the arts.