Shades of Green: Robert Redford asks artists to push government to grant more arts endowments?

Robert Redford delivers remarks at the 50th anniversary summit of Americans for the Arts in Baltimor

Robert Redford delivered remarks at the 50th anniversary summit of Americans for the Arts in Baltimore, Maryland June 25, 2010. He made a plea for artists to push governments for change, and encouraged actors to work with political officials. Does such a request undermine the arts by turning art into political propoganda -- or is it government responsibility to help artistic citizens get inspired?

Green Celebrity Examiner via @greencelebrity / Photo credit: AP

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Hollywood movie star Robert Redford made a plea to international actors, musicians, and artists during an event June 25 --

Robert Redford is a famous Hollywood movie star and typically a wise green celebrity when it comes to using his natural talent as an organizer and spokesperson to get things done when it comes time for social change and action.

The 73-year-old actor spoke Friday to about 900 attendees at an Americans for the Arts summit Friday in Baltimore, MD.

He called on them to dispel the "myths" holding back government arts funding says AP news reports.

Redford says popular notions that the arts are trivial or worthless are driven by "small minds."

Recently, Robert Redford founded the Redford Center in California. The non-profit organization was formed to use the arts to push issues like clean energy.

Redford is the actor that first started the now world famous Sundance Film Festival with a National Endowment for the Arts grant.

Now, the festival generates $90 million per year over its 10 day span for the state of Utah.

If Redford's plea for government to be more involved with funding scholarships and grants for the arts rather happens, the arts may lose the fiscal support for creative minds by private patrons.

Redford thinks his idea is a sound one, but political philosophers think tying the arts to politics presents a slippery slope.

Knowing that governments of the past have used are as political propaganda --

Do arts endowments that tie political officials with art programs undermine the credibility of the art and the artist?

Is art sponsored by private patrons more important, truthful, or intrinsically valuable than that paid for by the government?

EDITORIAL NOTE: In this writer's opinion, governments should be responsible to fund art programs for school and college age students to help teach basic art skills and techniques, but creative adult pursuits in the arts should primarilty be privately funded to avoid the perils of undue government influence -- with no disrespect intended to Robert Redford.

Share your thoughts about the philosophy behind mixing art and politics with readers in the comments section below.