Comments on: Secretary of Arts: Good or Bad? http://dancingperfectlyfree.com/2009/01/30/secretary-of-arts-good-or-bad/ Mon, 21 May 2012 16:57:20 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Maria http://dancingperfectlyfree.com/2009/01/30/secretary-of-arts-good-or-bad/#comment-724 Sat, 31 Jan 2009 14:18:32 +0000 http://dancingperfectlyfree.com/?p=1803#comment-724 While I think the idea that having a Secretary of Arts would elevate the arts to the same importance of other cabinet-level matters, there are better ways of doing this. For example, creating a White House Office on the Arts would ensure that the arts are sufficiently considered by each agency. Under the past administration, the White House office of Community and Faith-Based Initiatives made sure that each agency reached out to community and faith organizations, resulting in more funding for them under existing federal programs. If coupled with a devoted funding stream– particularly something less subjective a like an entitlement program, where each state automatically gets a certain amount of money based on population or other factors– we could see funding for the arts in more sectors of our society.

Having a Secretary of Arts could tie up and stifle the arts by overly centralizing decisions about how art is defined and which artists and art organizations are “worthy” of funding (note how controversy has been stirred up when the Department of Education has tried to get involved with curricular matters, which it generally may not– case in point: evolution, sex ed). With current laws (i.e., GPRA), all programs have to be able to statistically measure their impact and benefit. That is next to impossible with the arts. Also, having a cabinet level agency does not guarantee funding. How many times have politicians tried to eliminate or significantly weaken the Dept of Education?

That said, a Secretary of Arts could elevate the national conversation, but we must consider the cost. Let’s instead try to think of more innovative ways to get the arts into more sectors of our society so that can be driven by public interest and the free market. Let’s get more funding for government research into the benefit of the arts in education, diplomacy, and health. Let’s get a new WPA into the stimulus package to employ artists, stimulate the economy, and make our public spaces more beautiful. For arts to stay innovative and personally-driven (rather than by a national agenda) we must preserve the element of personal choice and creativity.

]]> By: Milena Thomas http://dancingperfectlyfree.com/2009/01/30/secretary-of-arts-good-or-bad/#comment-723 Fri, 30 Jan 2009 14:21:22 +0000 http://dancingperfectlyfree.com/?p=1803#comment-723 An arts official who ensures arts aren’t placed on back burners is equal to the bureaucratic task of lobbying and pushing legislation. Promoting cultural diplomacy is a dubious endeavor as well. How successful will one person be at generating cultural diplomacy? Art movements that combine people via geography and technology happen freely, and often in unexpected ways. Take the Japanese interest in the art of flamenco music and dance – this is an incredible elevation and sharing of the traditional Spanish art form – unaided by the countries’ governments. If anything, the flamenco is so closely guarded, many Spanish and Latin practioners look down upon outsiders. But now, the Japanese boast more flamenco schools than even Spanish and Latin countries!

I just offer this as an example to dispel the fallacy that a culture czar can create or predict these kinds of synergies. No one is endowed with that kind of genius.

]]>