Public Funding and Post-Modern Art in Six Works
![Image](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVwsFqksST5RGjucoYo1n4Ueck6Hj6Z2sQ4p2Y25GihsnZZHvJ4CGSvw1Sc5zGbv0v_sj7gU76dVBwWqxxXovdJM2bpPYok1GjcWmyB9fNbd9rFXRGRMqSiT4M2OpljAvudVCeR2SSOM9fPMUXo5a3Wfl0uIMZSnAGnl3bVb3GFLvEaEnGK9gcA4LM6w/w610-h189/Justice%20and%20the%20Prairie%201.jpg)
The concept of art being publicly funded has existed practically since art itself. Art is relied on to convey a message, soften a public image, or in some cases used to inspire their communities. Religious institutions, nobles, royalty, and now governments have all used art in a multitude of ways. The United States government has been a patron of the arts almost since its founding. Capitol buildings, paintings, and monuments were commissioned in the early days and now there is a far more structured patronage. In fact, at least half of a percent of a federally funded building’s budget is allotted for original art (Mekouar). The U.S. General Services Administration (known as GSA) oversees federal buildings. It also maintains records and preserves public access to hundreds of thousands of paintings, prints, sculptures, and other architectural and environmental works. There is a massive collection of publicly funded works through the centuries, but six of these works in particular really