Check this out:
"Pay the Artists," by Felix Salmon, in The Atlantic, Ideas: Fixing the World, July/August 2009 :
"If the Obama administration is serious about stimulating the economy and creating as many new jobs as possible, one choice is clear: it should announce a massive increase in federal arts funding. Artists are among the very poorest citizens. When they get cash, they spend it both quickly and carefully."
... and...
"Arts spending is fantastic at creating employment: for every $30,000 or so spent on the arts, one more person gets a job, compared with about $1 million if you’re building a road or hospital. " Read more.
