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Obama Stiffs the Arts
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The arts world is fuming over Obama's dubiously qualified "arts czar," and a humanities appointee who lacks a college degree. Judith H. Dobrzynski on the latest staffing dust-up.
Memo to President Obama, from the arts world: This is not what we had in mind.
During the campaign, candidate Obama raised high hopes among artists and arts institutions: He “got” their importance, even publishing an arts-policy statement. After the election, Quincy Jones fueled expectations with a crusade to create a Cabinet-level Minister of Culture or an arts czar at the White House. Dreams of bigger budgets for, and prominent chairs of, the NEA and the National Endowment for the Humanities, exploded like Twitter.
The three lesser appointments Obama has so far made have been strange at best and, at worst, deflating. None has much arts expertise; what they do have are political connections.
So, far the only sign of change has been the $50 million for arts grants the NEA received in the economic stimulus program—the first time the NEA was included in a recovery bill.
But for the most part, it’s been politics as usual. With the nation’s economic woes front-and-center, no one expected Obama to focus on the arts right away. Appointments to the NEA and NEH chairs could be weeks or even months away; in the meantime, they have acting chairpeople appointed by Obama, both seen as adequate for the short-term.
But the three lesser appointments Obama has so far made in the cultural arena—a Chicago lawyer named Kareem Dale, a Hollywood fund-raiser named Jeremy Bernard, and an Obama Senate staffer named Anita Decker—have been strange at best and, at worst, deflating. None has much arts expertise; what they do have are political connections. Bernard, appointed to a key post at the academically minded NEH, never graduated from college, though he claims a bachelor’s degree on his résumé.
Take Dale’s stealth appointment as “arts czar.” While the White House has confirmed the appointment to news outlets, no formal announcement has been forthcoming. The only official word on him from the White House came in mid-February, when Dale—who is partially blind—was made special assistant to the president for disability policy. He is currently holding both positions.
Dale—who has both law and MBA degrees from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign—is no slouch, but he has limited experience in the arts: He worked as a volunteer on Obama’s Arts Policy Committee, then as a paid staffer (becoming the campaign's disability-vote director). He was president of the board of Chicago’s Black Ensemble Theatre, where he helped raise $15 million to finance a new building. His father, who owns R.J. Dale Advertising and Public Relations, preceded him on the board, as chairman. Both the father—Robert J., but known as Bob—and son are members of Chicago’s vibrant African-American network and longtime Obama donors.
(Bob Dale, the father, won some unwelcome press notice for his small firm in recent years, after winning the $20 million Illinois State Lottery general marketing account in 2004. Within the next year, the state’s inspector general started a forensic-accounting probe of the firm, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The state auditor eventually cleared the firm of misuse or waste of funds, but said “insufficient reliable documentation and reconciliations of R.J. Dale's records” made it impossible to do the investigation properly, according to the Associated Press.)
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Paul Schrodt is a writer living in New York City. He has contributed to New York magazine, Radar, and Esquire.com.
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Judith H. Dobrzynski, formerly a reporter and a senior editor at The New York Times and at BusinessWeek, as well as a senior executive at CNBC, is a writer based in New York. She blogs about the arts at www.artsjournal.com/realcleararts.
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Judith H. Dobrzynski, formerly a reporter and a senior editor at The New York Times and at BusinessWeek, as well as a senior executive at CNBC, is a writer based in New York. She blogs about the arts at www.artsjournal.com/realcleararts.
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Judith H. Dobrzynski, formerly a reporter and a senior editor at The New York Times and at BusinessWeek, as well as a senior executive at CNBC, is a writer based in New York. She blogs about the arts at www.artsjournal.com/realcleararts.
xbainx
There is no reason the government should be supporting the arts anyway. This is not a crucial issue. This is not what government is for, propping up artists and musicians. These are luxury items. They should find a rich patron, like the old days. Paint a fresco for the church. Preferably not out of dung.
flyoverland
Is the telepromoter considered art?
picopallasi
This article should not have been needed. Arts Czar? haha. man.
taranto
He's been in office what...70 days? Politics as usual? Obama is many things, but he's hardly politics as usual... I'm all for the arts, but Dobrzynski sounds just like the groups of irrelevance (Cigar Rollers of America, In-Line Skate Security Agents) who are pleading for a bailout. First they were bandwaggoning Obama's presidency, then the billions created out of thin air for banks, autos, etc.
To recap: give the man some time, and get a sense of timing!
xbainx
Gosh I do love Republican humor. Original and clever, with just a touch of talking points.
PeorgieTirebiter
Mmm... I wonder if Palin or Jindal will exploit this crack in the usually reliable liberal arts demo? A lousy fifty million is insulting in these flush times. It just might make the NEA long for another patron like Reagan. The Daily Bust at it's best.
PeorgieTirebiter
The Daily Bust, at it's best! I'm imagine it won't be long before the NEA folks will be longing for another true patron like Ronnie.
buffgbob
Clearly, the thing to do is rescind the 50 million we are giving the arts now and take away these superfluous art positions.
jamdive
as an actor and a writer, i've never understood republican hostility towards artists; i mean, at least artists create something as opposed to living off of unearned trust funds or attending expensive universities on legacy scholarsships. but also, i really don't see the need for govt sponsorship of the arts beyond recognition of lifetime acheivement and jurying contests for public art. i mean, really, the nea has historically given grants to artists who are already successful, who don't need the money. these days, the nea grants money to states so as not to support controversial artists on the national level. a friend of mine just received such a grant $5000 for her poetry collection. many american artists naively believe that govt support for the arts, a la europe, is great but the reality is that unless an artist in europe or other socialist countries is accepted in to the academies at a young age, they are nobody. there are no theatres or museums for non govt supported artists in europe or other socialist countries. many eastern european artists are general labor in england as i write this.american artistic expression is what needs the support and that is UNCLE SAM'S responsibility, not funding. so when a republican crackpot politician rails against a mapplethorpe or whomever, the govt's role is to politely thank the politician and then tell him or her to SHUT THE F*^K UP!
buendia100
The frakkin tragedy is that the same people that require therapy for their mental illnesses (ie. "shadows on the wall as reality" believers a la allegory of the cave) -- are the same people that, more than anyone else, NEED the arts to help them process/understand their own human condition.
And it us, the artists, who for some reason, still feel compelled to create and to heal and to reflect - so as to relieve some of the universal pain felt by all of humanity.
The whole damn thing is a farce. And the artists are undeniably getting bent over and made fools of. Like Lavache, only without the whole "people actually listening and appreciating the value that exists in the arts thing".
Ritarita
@xbainx
You're normally
One of the
Funnier
And more spirited
Posters here.
That's why
That top item
Is SO disappointing.
Art is hard work
And deserves
a paycheck
Just like anything else
We value.
dewhastme
the best artists
are struggling artists
toughen yourselves
and create something
We value.
rowland
jamdive-
"as an actor and a writer, i've never understood republican hostility towards artists."
Do the words "crackpot" and "SHUT THE F*^K UP," give you any clue?
Curiously, you sound like you should be a republican. You don't believe the government should either sponsor OR opine on art - that it should butt out altogether. Right on! Remember that it was Tipper Gore who spearheaded the censorship effort aimed at musicians in the late '80s. Members of both parties bloviate about the morality of content and its impact of children and culture. Sanctimony is the easiest card in the world to play.
You have more in common with your bogeymen Republicans than you think. Don't get it twisted.
jeffsalzberg
The arts employt about 6 million Americans.
A survey in the '90s revealed that more Americans attend professional arts events than attend pro sports...and they have a greater impact on the economy, since those attendees also are more likely to patronize restaurants before and bars after.
This by itself proves the value of arts funding in a stimulus package.
flyoverland
Conservatives do not hate artists. Artists should be considered the prototype for capitalism. If you don't produce what people want to buy, you starve. The closest analog would be perhaps professional golfers who get no salary and if they don't win, they starve. What conservatives don't like is when artists think they are entitled to government money in exchange for their art. They are not. Conservatives have no problem with private donations to the arts, but draw the line at government subsidies. Obama has kicked the arts twice. By these appointments and by his pendng tax policy which will reduce dramatically the amount donated to arts charities. Take away all the dough contributed by conservatives and you will soon eat your words.
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