My Monday blog post, which questioned the monetary awards attached to the lifetime honors the National Endowment for the Arts gives in jazz, opera and heritage arts, has attracted a following — some supporting comments, emails, and now an opportunity to talk about it on the radio.
The Arts File, the WQXR feature aired every Friday at 8:30 a.m. on 105.9 FM, picked up on it, and I spoke today with WNYC/WQXR anchor Kerry Nolan — the taped and edited version will be aired tomorrow (i.e. Friday) morning.
Unfortunately, I won’t be near a computer tomorrow, or (probably) for the rest of the July 4th weekend, so I won’t be able to post the link to it (which goes up on the web about 9 a.m. Friday) until next week.
Nolan scrupulously said that, as the reporter/anchor, she wouldn’t share her opinions about my post, but she must have thought my idea — continuing the awards minus the money — has merit. (Why else feature it?)
Of course, we also talked about the NEA and Rocco Landesman’s tenure there in general.
On that, I think the jury’s still out — not only on his bull-in-a-China-shop approach, but also on whether he’s making any difference whatsoever. True, it’s early and his one initiative, “Our Town,” won’t start until it’s funded in the next fiscal year — assuming everyone goes along with his plan to redirect money from “American Masterpieces” to his new initiative, which would invest in arts districts, an attempt to use the arts as an economic engine.
Although I agree they can be, I don’t agree with that emphasis at the NEA — even though I realize that in the current economic environment, it may be (temporarily) the expedient thing to do.
And — although it may be cut — I was able to repeat my wish that President Obama would go to a couple of great art museums, setting a good example — for fun. I know, he goes to concerts, but he seems visual-arts challenged. Having the First Lady be the arts cheerleader doesn’t sit well with me. Arts are not just for the ladies, and that’s a notion the Obama administration hasn’t done much to dispel.
UPDATED, 7/5: Here’s the link to The Arts File.
Photo Credit: Courtesy WQXR