Arts and Culture

American Gothic by Grant DeVolson Wood, a master artist of the twentieth century, created in 1930 and sold to the Art Institute of Chicago (credit Friends of American Art Collection)

One of the most familiar images in 20th-century American art — American Gothic by Grant DeVolson Wood.

In the 20th century artists in the United States broke free from Old World antecedents, taking the various cultural disciplines in new directions with impressive, innovative results.

In the 21st century, music, film, theater, dance, architecture and other artistic expressions continue to transform. A rejuvenation in music, new directions in modern dance, drama drawn from the U.S. heartland, independent filmmaking across the landscape, the globalization of the visual arts -- all of these are part of the contemporary scene in the United States.

While the arts and culture in the United States continue to engage substantial attention, energy and resources of society, this happens largely outside the direction of government. The United States has no "ministry of culture," thus reflecting the conviction that there are important areas of national life where government should have little or no role.