US patrons of the arts win White House praise

President Reagan took a symbolic step to promote private support of the arts, Monitor arts editor Alan Bunce writes. In a White House ceremony, the President gave special awards to several art patrons - as well as artists, who are the more traditional recipients of such White House honors. Mr. Reagan stressed the unique US system in which private support is by far the major component of overall arts funding. This first-time honoring of art patrons is at least partly an effort to make up for a potentially reduced 1984 budget requested for the National Endowment for the Arts.