International Exchange in the Arts

Artists through history have needed and benefitted from the stimulation of cultures new to them, and, indeed, their art has been influenced by the milieu in which it was created. The great centers in which artists of a similar persuasion have gathered have provided the special stimulus of competition as well as the opportunity to share technique. The creative and performing arts are presented as inherently international despite efforts of nationalists to promote the dis tinction of their own culture and even to bend it to particular political or religious beliefs. The choices facing would-be patrons of the arts and the type of programs abroad best suited to the artist are considered, followed by a review of the Institute of International Education's recent activities in the cultural area. Finally, a call is made to the international corporate community to shoulder its share of the funding burden.