Long Live the NEA

In August, a telephone conference was held between White House representatives, representatives from the National Endowment of the Arts and up and coming artists, musicians and marketers. The call, led by former NEA communications director Yosi Sergant, was coined as "inappropriate" as Sergant aimed to encourage artists to create and publicize art that promotes the United We Serve initiative--each artist was asked to focus their art on health care, education or the environment

The phone call was recorded in a blog by filmmaker, marketer and art community consultant, Patrick Courrielche, who, as an invitee to the call, decided the content of the call was worth public discussion. Reportedly, by Courrielche and later by other news sources, Sergant's aim of the conversation was to motivate this community to further the political agenda of the president--a task the NEA is not responsible for by its mission. Because this group of artists, promoters, filmmakers, organizers, musicians, actors, writers and just "cool people" had done a remarkable job on the Obama campaign, (Shepard Fairey, the creator of the "Hope" painting included), Sergant felt that their abilities to use "art for positive change" would represent the White House accordingly. Courrielche unveiled the quote that frightened him the most,

“This is just the beginning. This is the first telephone call of a brand new conversation. We are just now learning how to really bring this community together to speak with the government. What that looks like legally?…bare with us as we learn the language so that we can speak to each other safely…"

Now throughout this, many of the call invitees were perplexed by Sergant's requests for a focus of their art, including visual arts blogger, Lee Rosenbaum (aka CultureGrrl), who was a part of a second call of different artists, aimed at the same goal. She was "creeped out" by the idea of "enlisting artists for a political adventure....even though, like many on the call, I supported and (with reservations) still support the agenda of the new president."

So begins the controversy.

Courrielche's blog probed a response from Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) to write an open letter to the president explaining that the goals of the NEA does not include using the art community to further political agendas. To make a long story short, Sergant, as of Sept. 22, according to ABC News, has been reassigned, and the White House has issued an apology, promising to make serious steps so such calls will never happen again.

Meanwhile, the White House failed at trying to redefine the NEA--thank goodness. Courrielche, along with the Texas Senator and Culturegrrl reiterated in their accounts that the NEA's mission is "supporting excellence in the arts, both new and established; bringing the arts to all Americans; and providing leadership in arts education" according to the NEA website.

The government is supposed to work for the NEA to fund well-deserving artists and organizations, the vise versa scenario is simply unAmerican. As a student who has studied music with an NEA medal winning composer, I see the NEA as an agency that has made and honored beautiful art. To corrupt that ideal is frightening, which is why the call, though only encouraging conference attendees to volunteer, made them fear that the NEA might simply become another government tool.

Although many of the artists were a part of the Obama campaign and support the United We Serve initiative, to be probed by officials to "choose one of the four key areas" to focus their passion and inspiration sounds a bit like a high school art contest--not to mention, it's against the NEA mission, ideals and artist freedom. I am no political junkie, but I am interested in the state of art in America, and I completely support the mission behind the NEA; it pleases me to know that such a loaded phone call could accurately be pinned, by the White House, reporters and the artists themselves, as corrupt use of the arts.

On another exciting note, the story is also indicative of the influence of blogging on making social change. Courrielche, in addition to writing a brilliant blog critiquing and questioning the call, sneakily recorded the call in its entirety as well as posted a full transcript on his blog, which can be found here. It's creepy, pre-Halloween treat.