
Contents
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Museums and Symphony Orchestras Museums and Symphony Orchestras
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Rationalizing Governance Rationalizing Governance
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The Second Wave: Ballet, Modern Dance, Theater, and Opera The Second Wave: Ballet, Modern Dance, Theater, and Opera
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Theater Theater
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Modern Dance and Ballet Modern Dance and Ballet
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Opera Opera
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Pathways to Artistic Legitimacy Pathways to Artistic Legitimacy
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Early Life Exposure Early Life Exposure
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What Is an “American Art”? What Is an “American Art”?
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Heading into the Great Depression Heading into the Great Depression
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1 The Invention of American Art, 1825–1945
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Published:September 2019
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Abstract
This introductory chapter analyzes the institutional and organizational factors that led to the invention of “the arts” in America. Wealthy reputational entrepreneurs seeking to establish domestic arts organizations contributed to the birth of highbrow arts as both idea and organizational practice. This first wave established the pathway by which creative forms came to be seen as art. As new orchestras, art museums, and symphonies were formed, advocates for ballet, modern dance, theater, and opera employed the same process to generate legitimacy. This second wave of legitimation was initiated by new groups of reputational entrepreneurs, including wealthy women, Jews, immigrants, and intellectuals. They advocated for the creation of novel American artworks to reflect the diverse character of the nation. The chapter then joins together existing sociological research on these two waves of change with research on the teaching professions that trained protoartists, the nonprofit professionals who administered arts programs, and the funders who supported their development.
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