A Secretary of the Arts? I have been reading about this idea and I think we are way ahead of ourselves, crossing the finish line before running the race! Building from the top down doesn’t work. The Arts have plenty of cheerleaders and advocates, we do not need an advocate in chief. That might be a feel good idea, but if the arts are truly to become a part of our nation’s narrative, we have to think much bigger….
What is bigger than a cabinet position? Isn’t that the ultimate table to be seated seat at? No, not if it’s purely symbolic. It’s not important to convince just President Obama that the Arts need high level representation, it’s the nation as a whole that needs to be convinced, otherwise it will be too easy for future presidents to dispense with it since the arts wont have a department, just a person. Why is there no talk of a department? The NEA in my opinion doesn’t count as one, it primarily distributes grants, it doesn’t formulate or create government policy to any great extent. It’s existence is determined by an appropriation from congress and they determine how the money is spent.
With all this talk of infrastructure spending, the arts too needs bridges to be built, so it is not it’s own island. Again it is really sexy to do something big for the arts, so it has prominence, and to separate it as something special. It’s also really easy to do since President Obama just has to appoint someone. However the arts are so many things, that to appoint a czar sends a signal that there is a very limited focus since there is very little one person or a few people can do. We do not need to make the arts exclusive, but inclusive. Here, is what I hope for:
Take for example the United States Department of Health and Human Services. Up until 1980 it was an agency that oversaw three major areas, health, education and welfare. In 1980 it was split into two departments, one covering health and welfare and the other education. In 1995, welfare was split off and it became the Social Security Administration, so in the span of 15 years one department became three because of the importance of each i.e they needed separate status to do effective work. One would argue well the arts are important too! Yes, but it has not been proven yet, and the lobbying eventually should be for a real department, not for a figure head for a phantom one. Once a department has been established, it will be much harder for a future president to close it. My equation: A full department = a bridge, A lone secretary = a boat!
It is going to take years but we cannot waste time, what needs to happen is that the President needs to be convinced that in every major government department, an arts office needs to be established that relates to the work of that department. So for instance, in the State department how about an office of artistic diplomacy and foreign artist exchange. Would the New York Phil’s trip to North Korea not have been more effective (or effective at all) if it was coordinated with a concurrent diplomatic mission by the state department? Just think, Hillary Clinton visits Pyong Yang and is bringing the New York Philharmonic with her!
In Health and Human services, an office for Music/Arts in healing could be established. In the department of Commerce, an office for business development through the arts, and in education there could be multiple offices since there are so many levels to arts education.
Every department could establish an arts office so that the arts builds its importance from the ground up. Once that importance and defined direction for the arts is established, then the case can be made for the arts to be split into its own separate department to liaise with all the others. That separate department will need…a secretary!
This approach might not be as sexy as hiring and arts czar right away, but if we don’t take the approach to position the arts as a serious component for the education and overall health of our nation, along with our diplomacy around the world (i.e important for our infrastructure), then I’m afraid our shiny new arts secretary will end up basically organizing String Quartets for state dinners, and poetry readings in the Rose Garden! Sounds and looks pretty, but means nothing!