Charity on the English and early American model must be distinguished from philanthropy as it developed in America at the turn of the twentieth century. Philanthropy aims at the systemic eradication of social ills rather than, as does charity, at their amelioration. The general purpose...

American cultural policy is made and executed by multiple governmental entities, with a large part of direct public expenditure coming from sub-national governments rather than the central government. Much the largest share of government support is provided by tax concessions for gifts to...

This chapter critically assesses, from an economic viewpoint, the role of the arts and culture in urban and regional development and growth. This includes the analysis of short run spending impacts, and longer term effects on location quality and creativity. In addition, the specific...

This paper contains a new review of the research of the last decade that has been designed to shed light on how the art auction system works, what it indicates about price formation, and how well it performs. We begin with a short description of the mechanics of the auction system and then...

The organization of the creative (arts and entertainment) industries rests on many types of contracts. These contracts govern collaborations between artists and other parties – at arm's length, or within an enterprise. These contracts' structures devolve from a few bedrock properties of...

The nonprofit performing arts have received substantial attention in the cultural economics literature, and represent an interesting application for many areas of economic inquiry. This chapter surveys the relevant theory and the most prominent empirical studies on performing arts nonprofits....

The revolutionary growth in economic prosperity and technological change that underlie the “new economy” have profoundly affected the arts. They have evidently contributed new and previously unimaginable methods of dissemination and preservation. But they have even had revolutionary effects...

Whether in ancient Rome or in the modern United States, censorship has existed in every society at every age. Art that challenges the strongly held beliefs of any society – whether those be political, ideological, religious, or otherwise – causes offense and creates pressure for censorship....

The new technologies of digitalization and the Internet threaten the market positions of artists and intermediaries. Artists because the technology of production of works may be readily accessible and craftsmanship may no longer be a defining characteristic of art. Intermediaries because their...

This paper surveys from an economic standpoint a number of important legal issues that influence the market for art, which include the creation, sale, valuation, maintenance and, in some instances, the destruction of works of art. We show that the important legal doctrines that bear on the...