I know an artist who has received one of these commissions. Oddly enough, her late father was a well-known labor organizer and mediator.
I think that the unions apply for the Federal grants from the Department of Labor and then, the unions make the awards, which _may_ be competitive. However, I am not sure that the candidate field isn’t pre-set, or, at the very least, only announced in union circles. Every one that I have seen is the same monumental, heroic, inspirational, Soviet Idealism style.
This sort of money could easily be found in programs such as Percent For Art or from State Arts Board monies taken from NEA. It isn’t a lot, in the government or union scheme of things.
Just more propaganda from organized labor, via tax money from the Fed.
Gov. La Page was on the Howie Carr show speaking about the mural, WGBH, this afternoon.
I was wondering how bad could it be — a ‘working people’s’ mural. Well, after seeing it — I can understand why it doesn’t seem appropriate for it’s place. It’s a Che-type statement and looks exactly like something an artist would do given a government grant. Not something I would have imagine belongs in the Maine capital building.
The mural is something that can and should be appreciated as the artistic piece that it is, but it doesn’t belong where it is at present. I’m sure Gov. LaPage will find a more appropriate place for it, as he said he is hoping to do.
Hope the good people of Maine keep LaPage long enough for him to have the positive impact on their state they desperately need.