By: Charles Geraci The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) announced today that it is founding three Arts Journalism Institutes for the purpose of improving arts criticism in classical music, opera, theater and dance.
The institutes will be geared toward journalists who report on the arts for print and broadcast outlets outside the nation's largest markets and have limited professional opportunities.
Beginning in the summer of 2004, the institutes will hold workshops at three universities. The American Dance Festival at Duke University will host dance critics, Columbia University will invite classical music and opera critics, while theater critics will convene at the University of Southern California.
"The vitality of the arts depends more than most people think on lively and informed criticism, especially local reviews and coverage from their own communities," NEA Chairman Dana Gioia said in a statement. "Outside our major cities, journalists who cover the arts often are overextended with multiple beats and assignments that allow few opportunities to concentrate on various artistic disciplines."
The NEA is allocating $1 million for the first two years of the program. Lectures and seminars at each institute will help establish the importance of arts journalism. In addition, attendees will work with senior journalists and faculty to refine their writing skills.
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