Monday, January 12, 2009

Petition for Secretary of the Arts

This is going around and already has over 68,000 signatures:

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.

Sign the petition here.


2 comments:

bru92 said...

This IS a good idea. But there is a problem no one seems to be considering.
Specifically, I’d like to know where the funds to pay for this new National Secretary’s expenses (salary, staff, and overhead) would come from. [I’d endorse eliminating two or three of any fat-cat legislator’s staff to pay for an Arts Secretary.]

Proposing to create new spending - TODAY OF ALL TIMES - requires that we are clear about where the money comes from.

peace space bar -

Anonymous said...

So far I have yet to read a "petition". All I have seen is a letter based on an interview on soundcheck with Quincy Jones. I would think that a petition might include an actual request with detail as to specific reason for the need to create Sec' for the Arts and job criteria. Consider art representation in the hands of gov't and one person's perspective. Leaves me to wonder if this is a good idea. More specifics please. I am shocked that so many people signed this vague notion of a petition.