Secretary of Art

[morgaina]

This has been circulating through some Arts Groups.
What a dream this would be!
If you agree please pass it on.

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Quincy Jones has started a petition to ask President-Elect Obama to appoint a Secretary of the Arts. While many other countries have had Ministers of Art or Culture for centuries, The United States has never created such a position. We in the arts need this and the country needs the arts--now more than ever. Please take a moment to sign this important petition and then pass it on to your friends and colleagues.

< a h"http://www.petitiononline.com/esnyc/petition.html

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Edited to add a couple of interesting links:


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/13/AR2009011303264.html


http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2009/01/note-to-obama-h.html#comments

http://www.quincyjones.com/

Comments

[pandorasbox.livejournal.com]

Just signed it

[copper-oxide.livejournal.com]

Thanks, me too. :-)

[hroar.livejournal.com]

I can see it either way..something very good, or something very bad....or just trite.
It depends.
Something I think would take a lot of care.
I woudl hate to se eany sort of "Official" take on the arts.

[copper-oxide.livejournal.com]

Certainly, you can place a negative spin on anything.
The possibility that the government is officially even aware there is such a thing as art would be a big change.

[hroar.livejournal.com]

thats true of course..
So long as it is not exclusionary.
Awareness probably be good.
In thinking...how does scuplture (for instance,) get chosen for public places? Isnt this a government decison? (I honestly dont know)
What woudl such an office do?

too many complicated questions for a short answer

[copper-oxide.livejournal.com]

I'm on a number of arts lists and have had friends win public sculpture grants. My son has been awarded several large art grants. I have been part of a couple of small educational arts grants and am thinking about applying for one next year to spruce my school up with art.

What generally is done is the organization that wants the sculpture (or whatever media) applies to a funding agency, this may be Federal (such as National Endowment for the Arts), State, City, or private individuals organizations.
In the proposal they write about the type of work they are looking for, sometimes they have artists they want to work with and write them in as part of the grant. Sometimes after getting the grant they publicize what they want and where they want the public art placed and artists send their resumes, portfolios, and proposals for the art they would do and the grant is awarded to the person the committee likes best. Like applying for a job.
Several of the grants my son has recieved he applied for himself directly to the funding agency, wrote up a proposal, sent the portfolio etc.
My grants were Artist in Residence, the committee knew they wanted me ahead of time so I sent my portfolio, etc. in along with the grant proposal.