BALTIMORE (AP).- Robert Redford says notions that the arts are trivial or worthless are driven by "small minds."
The 73-year-old actor spoke Friday to about 900 attendees at an Americans for the Arts summit Friday in Baltimore. He called on them to dispel the "myths" holding back government arts funding.
Recently, Redford founded the Redford Center in California to use the arts to push issues like clean energy.
Redford started the Sundance Film Festival with a National Endowment for the Arts grant. Now it generates $90 million over 10 days for Utah.
He also has been raising money for the Gulf Coast's recovery from the oil spill, a week after finishing his latest movie production.
Redford says he hopes "The Conspirator," about the trial of Mary Surratt after Abraham Lincoln's assassination, may be released this year.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press.
