ABSTRACT
During these culture wars, artists, as represented by some members of Congress, were the symbol of what was wrong with America. Senators and members of congress outdid each other on the floor of the Senate and in the House with their performances of righteous indignation against the antiauthoritarian, provocative instigations of certain individual artists whose work represented the antithesis of a conservative right-wing ideology. Around these displays of outrage, there coalesced vocal, well-organized right-wing religious groups who provided political capital to these elected officials. Cultural advocates-the left-wing liberals-made surprisingly little fuss. We seemed curiously unable to frame the debate in a way that connected with a public beyond the world of art and culture. Trained communicators, we failed as public intellectuals. As a result, public funds for individual artists were discontinued, the infrastructure of public support for art and culture slowly collapsed, and institutions daring to present or to exhibit work that dissatisfied conservative ideology were threatened with a loss of public support. The stage was set for muting voices of dissent.
