The Ninety-Second American Assembly, held May 29 - June 1, 1997 in Harriman, New York, was a gathering of 78 participants representing a broad spectrum of views and interests who examined the arts as a sector in American life and the extent to which the arts meet the public purposes of the American people. The Assembly, which included artists, arts executives, critics, business men and women, foundation officers, academics, politicians and policy makers from all over the country, identified a number of measures that would enable artists and artistic enterprises both to meet public purposes better and to flourish.