RSS
Home
NEA conference call controversy
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
On August 10, 2009, the National Endowment for the Arts, the White House Office of Public Engagement and United We Serve (President Obama’s volunteer initiative) co-hosted a conference call with American artists. According to White House spokesman Bill Burton, “The point of the call was to encourage voluntary participation in a national service initiative by the arts community.” According to Deputy Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, Buffy Wicks, the point was a little bit more direct. Wicks can be heard telling listeners during the call:
“We’re going to need your help, and we’re going to come at you with some specific ‘asks’ here."
The conference call controversy came to light when one of the artists, Patrick Courrieleche, wrote about it on the blog Big Hollywood.
"What I heard was a well thought-out pitch to encourage artists to create art on these issues," Courrieleche told FOXNews.com in August. "We were told we’re consulted for a reason, and they specifically stated those issues we should focus on, to plant the seed. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see what they're attempting to do."
As Michael Skolnick, political director for hip-hop mogul, Russell Simmons, explained to the artists during the call:
"You are the thought leaders. You are the ones that, if you create a piece of art or promote a piece of art or create a campaign for a company, and tell our country and our young people sort of what to do and what to be in to; and what's cool and what's not cool. And so I'm hoping that through this group and the goal of all this and the goal of this phone call, is through this group that we can create a stronger community amongst ourselves to get involved in things that we're passionate about as we did during the campaign but continue to get involved in those things, to support some of the president's initiatives, but also to do things that we are passionate about and to push the president and push his administration."
“This is just the beginning,” Yosi Sergant, then NEA Director of Communications, says on the call.
“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. We're still trying to figure out the laws of putting government websites on Facebook and the use of Twitter. This is all being sorted out. We are participating in history as it's being made, so bear with us as we learn the language so that we can speak to each other safely. And we can really work together to move the needle to get stuff done."
“This is what we fought for. We fought for a chance to be at the table and not only at the table but we’re setting the table.”
Sergant later told the artists:
"Pick -- I would encourage you to pick something, whether it's health care, education, the environment, you know, there's four key areas that the corporation has identified as the areas of service. My ask would be to apply artistic, you know, your artistic creative communities' utilities and bring them to the table."
The conversation continues with an artist, identified as Ms. Ban, asking what the difference is between Organizing for America (previously the official Obama for President campaign organization) and Serve.gov. Nell Abernathy replies:
“Yeah, I can address that a little bit, and the reason only a little bit is because in my role at a federal agency, I’m precluded from going too far down the specific steps of what people can do to advocate. But we have to, for these legal reasons, remain really separate what we do here from what OFA is doing, and so they’re basically two different goals with the same idea. We use the same techniques, organizing strategies, because basically they’re both run by people from the campaign.”
As the conversation wraps up, Skolnick reminds everyone:
“Please, please, please be in contact with me if you want to say something but don’t want to say in front of a bunch of people, you’re more than welcome to email me and then I will send you my telephone number.”
In a statement to FOXNews.com, NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman said that Sergant acted "unilaterally and without the approval or authorization" of then Acting Chairman Patrice Walker Powell regarding the call.
"Some of the language used by the former NEA Director of Communications was, unfortunately, not appropriate and did not reflect the position of the NEA. This employee has been relieved of his duties as director of communications."
"This call was not a means to promote any legislative agenda and any suggestions to that end are simply false.”
To listen read the full transcript of the call, click here.
To listen to audio clips, click here.
Readers who liked this article also enjoyed:
"Democrats call Republicans 'terrorists'"
"Government health care site discriminates against opponents"
Related Articles:
Add a Comment
