Michelle and the Met: Are the Arts Women's Work?

As the White House announced yesterday, Michelle Obama will visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday. She'll be there for the ribbon-cutting ceremony to open the redone American Wing. Afterwards, she'll meet with some of the city's "arts and entertainment leaders," and then -- no doubt after changing clothes -- she will head across Central Park to the Metropolitan Opera House for the opening gala of the American Ballet Theater's spring season.

That's all good news; I'm as thrilled as any arts-lover that the First Lady will bring more attention to the arts.

But there's still something wrong with this picture: call me a grouch, but why is it always the First Lady's job to visit museums and go to the ballet? Admittedly, the President has watched the Alvin Ailey company perform at the Kennedy Center and I believe he attended the poetry jam at the White House on Tuesday night (at least he was there to introduce Michelle as "the star of the show").

I'm not suggesting that he ignore the economy or health care or Afghanistan. But the arts aren't women's work, and I wish he would break the pattern of turning them over to the First Lady.