The Arts of Democracy

"A comprehensive and profound investigation into the place and role of the public arts in culture."—Journal of American Culture

"An ambitious, well-conceived collection of essays. . . . The essays move with precision between artists and agencies and the Cold War policies that shaped both in national and international contexts. Roughly, the narrative arc of the essays contends that the embrace by Cold War-inspired agencies of abstraction and modernism (and jazz) as evidence of American freedom from Soviet-style tyranny produced a singular moment for U.S. public culture that eventually gave way to hostility from the Left and from the Right that has resulted in a desire for a return to 'tradition' in various forms."—Journal of American History

"A wonderful collection that addresses a set of vitally important topics. The essays range widely and imaginatively, offering nuanced considerations of the relationship between art, public culture, and the state. The book will be a must-read not only among historians and art historians but also among arts administrators, foundation officers, and public officials."—Daniel Horowitz, author of Betty Friedan and the Making of "The Feminine Mystique"