Obama and the Arts
Lost in the inaugural hoopla, and those little problems that Obama's now responsible for fixing, is the fact that we now have a president who cites Dylan, Coltrane, Springsteen and Wilco as some of his favorite musicians. With this kind of taste, you'd think that our president is crafting policy in one of the hipster dive bars of Brooklyn or San Francisco. I mean, how cool can this guy be?
When it came to his campaign, the support ranged from huge acts in arenas down to local acts in the 'burbs. And we're not talking the kind of cookie-cutter country acts who supported Bush and McCain, but rather artists with credibility such as Arcade Fire, Common and Jenny Lewis. Over the course of his two-year run to the White House, I don't think I attended a concert without some sign of Obama throughout the band's set. Whether it was a bassist wearing a tight Obama tee, a few quips in between songs or a banner the size of Fenway's green monster, Obama was everywhere.
We're now hearing a growing chorus, led by legendary music-icon Quincy Jones, calling for a Secretary of the Arts. When I first heard this idea I chuckled. I mean, when you consider the economy, the wars, health care, the environment and the near endless array of challenges facing the Obama administration, I can't imagine our government finding even a second to consider such a position.
Then I remembered the role musicians, actors, writers and other artists played not just in helping to craft and deliver Obama's vision to millions of suddenly hungry voters, but I considered the relentless blows that the arts have taken over the past decade or so. Music sales have plummeted while being led by an old guard of industry execs who have refused to adapt. Book publishers are laying off staff left and right and the local bookstore is nearly a thing of the past. The film industry is probably in the best position, but aside from this year, it's usually the big-budget watered-down mindless garbage that keeps the industry moving along.
Yes, most industries are adapting and evolving during these uncertain times, but the arts have been in flux for years and years, long preceding Bush and Wall Street's dismantling of the economy. In order to keep the arts alive, the corporations that have the largest shares of the overall pie have turned away from creativity and development and supported the quickest hit song, the movie with the grandest explosions and the book whose words summoned the least amount of curiosity.
It's certainly possible that somewhere out there is a voice as powerful as Sam Cooke, a mind as deep as Faulkner and a vision as magnificent as Kubrick. But times are different, and without the support, encouragement and thoughtful development of folks who see more than just dollars as the end all, those voices may remain quiet, those words may never be shared and those screens may be blank.
Barack Obama is clearly a man of the arts, possibly more so than any other president in our history. In addition to the musicians mentioned above, he's found inspiration and meaning in the writings of Melville and Morrison and films such as The Godfather and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. And with the arts in such a state of disarray, perhaps Quincy's right. If we don't collectively find ways to nurture and support the arts, the downward spiral of the past decade or so will only continue. And similar to the many pressing issues of the day, if we allow this to happen, the consequences could be devastating.
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Thanks for the comments. I should note that although the idea was publicized by Quincy Jones, I don't think Quincy would be right for the role (not that he's asked for it). We need some forward-thinking folks who understand the past, but are involved in the evolution of the arts. I see a lot of similarities in Obama's call for change in Washington and the need for folks to embrace change in the arts.
I'm all for a secretary of the arts. How about an arts section on Huffpost?
I agree with the idea of establishing a "Secretary of the Arts" (or "Culture," if you will). The problem is that the most gifted and serious artists always get the short end of the stick. Why did the inaugural event feature an arrangement (not even an original work) by John Williams, a commercial movie score composer, when some of the greatest composers of the past sixty years have been American (I am thinking in particular of Elliot Carter). I like Aretha Franklin, but where was Ornette Coleman? The poet who read at the inauguraiton may be someone whose work the President likes personally. but would this not have been a great opportunity to pay tribute to John Ashbery, who, in the opinion of many, is the greatest poet currently writing in English? I do not believe that there is a fine line between the popular arts and "high culture." But once one makes that admission and opens the door to considering Bruce Springsteen in the same breath as Elliot Carter, somehow the Carters and Ashberys and Ornette Colemans always end up being excluded. This may be because "high culture" is sometimes less politically inclined in this country than in Europe. In any event, I see a danger in creating a "Secretary of the Arts" if it means that that the most seroius artists are marginalized even further, and "popular culture" becomes viewed as representing one hundred percent of our nation's cultural expression.
excellent post. THere are hundreds of thousands of us eking out a living in the Arts because we believe in it's power to shape and mold a greater society and the fine arts market is expected to decline nearly 60% this year due to the slashing of corporate sponsorships and state and municipal budgets. I have heard with my ears the next Sam Cooke and writing as revolutionary as Lennon, and I pray these voices will get heard by a larger audience, but I have already seen some musical geniuses give up and take a "day job" in this economy and we are all poorer for it. The $50 million in NEA funding in the stimulus will go 100% toward job protection and creation. Every cent of it is spent on saving live shows that otherwise wouldn't take place....while the corporate tax cuts and other measures will be split between hoarding and corporate frivolities with the hopes that a portion of it will create some jobs. Thanks for this post.
Great post. I agree with Q that we are in dire need of someone who can watch over the creation, cultivation and preservation of the arts; the arts being broadly defined from music, to performing and visual arts, to literature, etc. And that portfolio should span from the schools through the non-profits and commercial ventures. The creation of the senior position with portfolio at the senior level of the administration will get the attention that it needs. The NEA as a stand-alone agency does great work but they don't have clout. Bill Clinton confirms this on his appearance on Elvis Costello's Spectacle when he talks about the importance of how the White House is organized and the senior positions he created to place attention on critical issues. Now is the time. I hope President Obama listens to Quincy.
I agree with hollybork...
The fine arts curriculum in schools are the first to be cut when budgets fall short. If Barack Obama really wants to create jobs in the arts it needs to start on a level that will really affect and impact the people of America, namely the children. Keep art teachers employed and provide funding to expanding children's intereste in the arts.
I think the comment about critiquing "cookie cutter country acts that supported Bush and McCain" was unnecessary as it relates to the this article. Appreciation for all arts, not just the acts supported by the author or a particular political affiliation, should be taught and tolerated. I don't particularly care for rap music, but I can appreciate it as a form of expression.
I'm all for supporting the fine arts as long as it does not promote creating music/art snobs, intolerance, or exclusion for other forms of expression that may not necessarily speak to us as individuals.
One thing I did discover by reading this article is that appreciation of the arts and personal preference are much like debates in politics. Sometimes you like what you hear... sometimes you don't :)
Now, here's a job where Caroline Kennedy can shine!
What we need are ARTISTS THEMSELVES who are in a position of great authority, to advocate FOR more arts funding and greater respect for the impact the arts have on the U.S. economy, its citizens and its way of life. Artists with money and influence like Bruce Springsteen, Beyonce, Madonna and such, to donate a small portion of their enormous amounts of money and to give their time to use their influence to EDUCATE the media, our representatives and yes, the President as to how much a part of our fabric the arts have been and should be. I am an artist and today I watched MSNBC anchor David Shuster defend the $50 million designated for the long-bashed NEA which is contained in the President's stiimulus bill. A Republican pundit had trashed the notion of this expense as wholly unnecessary and unstimulative; Shuster defended it by reminding all of us (and the speechless pundit) that investing in the arts creates more jobs, not less. It was the first time I have heard an anchor on a major news channel defend ANY arts organization. We should all write and thank him, but don't stop there. Write your congressional reps and quote them the easily accessible statistics on just how much "stimulative' effect the arts have on local economies. Its all on the internet.
I nominate David Byrne.
Its not that outgrageous a suggestion. Ireland keeps a permanent minister for arts & culture.
What was also interesting was the group of cultural luminaries who showed up for the inauguration festivities. From Beyonce to Bono to Bruce, YoYo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, Steven Spielberg, and dozens of others. I can only hope that we're on the cusp of a new era of enlightenment in our politics and culture.
I don't know about an Arts Czar. I think that is unnecessary.
One immediate way of supporting the arts is to provide funding to public schools immediately for all manner of artistic education. We need more than reading and math to make our children productive. We also need to release their creative potential and stimulate every one of them to find their special talents. We need to find and employ teachers for classical, popular and jazz music, writing workshops, painting, printmaking, film making, sculpture and photography, jewelry making, architecture, web design, graphic design, and landscape architecture/design. If we offered heavier and deeper doses of these arts, kids might actually specialize in high school in something that would be a life sustaining skill.
Couldn't agree more. Spend the money where it counts - with the youngsters. Besides a possible life sustaining skill, the arts provides the kind of healthy emotional and creative outlet our computer-besotted youth needs these days. Toss out that Guitar Hero and get a Stratocaster instead!
Excellent post.
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