The report discusses the Ford Foundation's support for the arts in the United States since 1981. The premise upon which the Foundation provides such support is that the arts provide an immediate and intense means of communication, both in the present and across the centuries. A potent reflector and interpreter of values, art illuminates the present and reinterprets the past such that a nation can see itself more clearly and better explore the world around it. The report describes an arts program which reflects the Foundation's sensitivity to the needs of the arts in this country. The program consists of three interrelated areas of interest: (1) the creation of new performing art; (2) the strengthening of minority arts and arts institutions through pluralism and diversity; and (3) the documentation of cultural heritage. The role of independent foundation support of the arts is discussed, and measures are outlined through which the Foundation aims to stimulate creativity, enhance the quality of art, and increase access to the arts. Specific discussion of arts organization and their funding includes consideration of how individuals, corporations, government, and the marketplace, as well as foundations, all contribute to the support of the arts. (TRS)