RAND REPORT ANGERS ARTS ADVOCATES

Some arts advocates are miffed by a recent Rand report, commissioned by the Wallace Foundation, that proposes that advocates become less fixated on what the arts can do for business growth and kids’ math and reading scores, and stress intangibles such as enchantment, enlightenment, and community-building, Mike Boehm reports in the New Mexican. They object to the fact that the report casts doubt on economic studies that have been proven lobbying tools, and they don’t see the wisdom in drawing a line between the intrinsic and practical benefits of the arts. “It’s confusing. I’m not exactly sure what the motivation is for this,” said Robert Lynch, president of Americans for the Arts.