The Tastemakers: The Shaping of American Popular Taste, by Russell Lynes. Dover Publications, 1980
His New York Times obituary:
http://www.nytimes.com/1991/09/16/arts/russell-lynes-80-an-editor-and-arbiter-of-taste.html
Essayist, social historian, photographer and Renaissance man, Mr. Lynes was an acclaimed expert on what was highbrow, what was lowbrow and what was no brow at all. One reviewer called him "the maestro of an unpretentious brand of social commentary which is civilized and stimulating.
This attitude in the “arts” starts early. I can say, anecdotally, that young conservative artists are discouraged early on in the education system. Realistic art in the form of painting/drawing is passed over for “modern” art. Film schools give high marks based on how many F bombs are included in the student’s film. There is alot of work to be done by conservatives related to influencing the arts. They have a tremendous roll in shaping the young skulls full of mush and are basically controlled by the left.