It used to be, in the 1960s and ’70s, that the arts were considered good for national unity, for our sense of collective purpose and identity. We were seen then as a youngish, emerging country with an identity that needed forging. Then, in the 1980s and ’90s, the message changed. We began hearing that the creative arts were good for the economy. That argument continues today but with a bit of a twist: “Want a culture of innovation? Fund our artists.”