Q on arts secretary concept
As the petition to President Obama to create a secretary of the arts post continues to gain signatures, we thought it would be a good opportunity to take a step back and give you the opportunity to hear Quincy’s thoughts on why such a post is necessary.
The video below, courtesy of FORA.tv and Book Passage, was shot on December 17, 2008 at Book Passage in Corte Madera, California, a stop on Q’s book tour to promote his acclaimed coffee table book, The Complete Quincy Jones: My Journey & Passions. In the clip, Quincy explains his thoughts on why he feels such a post would benefit the U.S.
Just yesterday (January 21), we theorized that Obama might be open to such a proposition, since he’s a President that “speaks our own language.” Those sentiments were once expressed by architect Joseph H. Freedlander, when he proposed the establishment of a secretary of the arts post in 1933, when Franklin Delana Roosevelt was President.
We’re proud to report that the Obama-Biden administration, in their “platform in support of the arts,” suggests a number of arts-friendly initiatives that seemingly go hand-and-hand with Quincy’s thoughts. While it does not include the establishment of a secretary of arts, it does include pledges to “reinvest in arts education, support increased funding for the NEA, promote cultural diplomacy, attract foreign talent, provide health care to artists, and ensure tax fairness for artists.”
You can read the complete platform here.
I would support such a platform. I believe it is needed to balance government involvement with the people who need to balance priorities in order to balance the community/Earth.