Members of American for the Arts gather in Austin for the group’s annual meeting. “Robert Lynch, AFA’s president and chief executive officer, presented findings from the organization’s latest research effort: an analysis of municipal, state, and regional arts agencies in 2003, the first year that saw a decline in arts funding after six years of increases. As the national economy has crept back from its post-Sept. 11 slump, however, arts funding has either increased or plateaued.”