Comments on: Does the U.S. need a secretary for culture? http://museumblogging.com/2009/01/10/does-the-us-need-a-secretary-for-culture/ Mon, 15 Feb 2010 20:48:54 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 hourly 1 By: David Simon for Secretary of Culture http://museumblogging.com/2009/01/10/does-the-us-need-a-secretary-for-culture/comment-page-1/#comment-439 David Simon for Secretary of Culture Tue, 19 May 2009 21:44:44 +0000 http://museumblogging.com/?p=69#comment-439 [...] surprised in the least to discover that the idea of a Culture Secretary had already been explored by others when Googling the idea, but let me add my vision to the [...] [...] surprised in the least to discover that the idea of a Culture Secretary had already been explored by others when Googling the idea, but let me add my vision to the [...]

]]> By: calvin chen http://museumblogging.com/2009/01/10/does-the-us-need-a-secretary-for-culture/comment-page-1/#comment-342 calvin chen Tue, 03 Feb 2009 01:48:12 +0000 http://museumblogging.com/?p=69#comment-342 This is a great post. It is shocking the disproportionate amount of resource committed to commerce, politics and the military versus the arts in the US. A Secretary for Culture is long overdue. The pentagon's annual budget was U.S. $ 439 billion in 2007 vs the NEA which gets about U.S. $ 120 million. This allocation of resource seems much more problematic. This is a great post. It is shocking the disproportionate amount of resource committed to commerce, politics and the military versus the arts in the US. A Secretary for Culture is long overdue.
The pentagon’s annual budget was U.S. $ 439 billion in 2007 vs the NEA which gets about U.S. $ 120 million. This allocation of resource seems much more problematic.

]]> By: Candice Johnson http://museumblogging.com/2009/01/10/does-the-us-need-a-secretary-for-culture/comment-page-1/#comment-312 Candice Johnson Wed, 14 Jan 2009 01:52:02 +0000 http://museumblogging.com/?p=69#comment-312 Great Post Leslie....and 88,000 people agree with you. A spontaneous petition was started my a NY musician in November after he listened to an interview with Quincy Jones who suggested the same things. In the last few days the Petition has gone viral by means of email, forums and blog posts and in the last 24 hours 19,000 people have signed it making that about a person every 4 seconds. There has been no press about the petition. The comments are passionate. http://new.petitiononline.com/esnyc/petition.html I urge everyone to read the comments, sign the petition and pass the information on. I am a fine artist who lived and worked in Paris for 11 years. I know and have experienced how governments can help the arts whether it was the right or the left. I miss greatly the respect I had in Europe and believe this would be a great step for our American Culture. Candice Johnson Great Post Leslie….and 88,000 people agree with you. A spontaneous petition was started my a NY musician in November after he listened to an interview with Quincy Jones who suggested the same things. In the last few days the Petition has gone viral by means of email, forums and blog posts and in the last 24 hours 19,000 people have signed it making that about a person every 4 seconds. There has been no press about the petition. The comments are passionate. http://new.petitiononline.com/esnyc/petition.html
I urge everyone to read the comments, sign the petition and pass the information on.
I am a fine artist who lived and worked in Paris for 11 years. I know and have experienced how governments can help the arts whether it was the right or the left. I miss greatly the respect I had in Europe and believe this would be a great step for our American Culture.

Candice Johnson

]]> By: Joseph Caputo http://museumblogging.com/2009/01/10/does-the-us-need-a-secretary-for-culture/comment-page-1/#comment-309 Joseph Caputo Sat, 10 Jan 2009 20:48:22 +0000 http://museumblogging.com/?p=69#comment-309 Great post. A Secretary for Culture would be a great idea for these troubled times. There are so many arts related jobs that this person could oversee and create. Perhaps with the advent of digital media, something the original New Deal didn't have, the Federal Writer's Project can go even further. I can imagine federally funded YouTube videos, Websites, podcasts, etc... that document life in America today. Artistic documentation of the United States Post 9-11 and Iraq and in the Age of Obama would resonate for generations. Great post. A Secretary for Culture would be a great idea for these troubled times. There are so many arts related jobs that this person could oversee and create. Perhaps with the advent of digital media, something the original New Deal didn’t have, the Federal Writer’s Project can go even further. I can imagine federally funded YouTube videos, Websites, podcasts, etc… that document life in America today. Artistic documentation of the United States Post 9-11 and Iraq and in the Age of Obama would resonate for generations.

]]> By: Milena Thomas http://museumblogging.com/2009/01/10/does-the-us-need-a-secretary-for-culture/comment-page-1/#comment-308 Milena Thomas Sat, 10 Jan 2009 16:28:14 +0000 http://museumblogging.com/?p=69#comment-308 I think such a position is problematic. The history of the NEA is frought with near-scandal and outright censorship. I don't mean to say it cannot have an impact on the arts, but anyone who supports a cabinet position for the arts should be clear that government-funded art is different than art created in the private milieu. I think government funding inhibits freedom of expression, even though it may benefit certain organizations, and can increase exposure in under-served areas. But private funding can go a long way to do the same. I'm against the idea. I think such a position is problematic. The history of the NEA is frought with near-scandal and outright censorship. I don’t mean to say it cannot have an impact on the arts, but anyone who supports a cabinet position for the arts should be clear that government-funded art is different than art created in the private milieu.

I think government funding inhibits freedom of expression, even though it may benefit certain organizations, and can increase exposure in under-served areas. But private funding can go a long way to do the same.

I’m against the idea.

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