WTF Has Obama Done? - Issue No. 011 - Arts and Culture

What a great week so far, but we've only touched the tip of the iceberg.  The achievements are far greater than you could've imagined and I'm about to share this with you.

I'm on my 11th issue of this new series and have already posted 28 WTFs (achievements) President Barack Obama has accomplished in merely three years of holding office.  But just to give  you an idea of what you can expect over the next 38 weeks, I have yet to cover Banking and Financial Reform, Commerce Trade and Technology, Conservation, Housing, Humanitarianism, Infrastructure, Labor, Law and Justice, Medicaid/Medicare/Social Security, Space Exploration, Green Energy, Old Energy, Oil Energy, the list goes on.  And in-between those issues I have to go back to each and every one, because there's hundreds of achievements under each category.

Today, we'll focus on Arts & Culture.  Often times we tend to overlook our great history, how we got here and the inventions and the technologies that brought us into the 21st century.  I grew up in the 80s, so having a cell phone for the first time was the most amazing thing ever.  Knowing that we could talk and our voice somehow manage to soar through the air was incomprehensible to me.  We take this kind of stuff for granted, especially those born in the mid to late 1990s, and we shouldn't.  We need to remember how we got here - value life in the best possible way.  Visit museums and libraries - discover our rich history.  Explore the arts and the amazing architecture of our nation.  Discover how each steel was raised, brick was laid or how a log was milled.  There are only 4 achievements for this category, so without further ado...

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Increased funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to the highest level since 1992.

Over the last 15 years, government funding for the National Endowment for the Arts has been slashed from $175 million annually in 1992 to $125 million today. Barack Obama and Joe Biden support increased funding for the NEA, the support of which enriches schools and neighborhoods all across the nation and helps to promote the economic development of countless communities. [Reference-1]

When President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, he restored the National Endowment for the Arts' funding to its highest level since 1992. Under the bill, $50 million will be distributed in direct grants to fund arts projects and activities. According to the text of the bill, the allocation will be used to "preserve jobs in the nonprofit arts sector" and compensate for diminished philanthropic support caused by the economic downturn. [Reference-2]

On Friday, October 30^th, President Obama signed the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. The bill provides $167.5 million in funding for the National Endowment for the Arts, which is a $12.5 million increase over last year’s funding and their highest funding level in sixteen years. [Reference-3, Reference-4]

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Created an artist corps for public schools.

As a candidate, Barack Obama promised to "support the creation of an 'Artists Corps' of young artists trained to work in low-income schools and their communities."

President Obama can cross this promise off his to-do list. On April 21, 2009, he signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, named after the Massachusetts senator. Among other things, the act increases the number of positions within the AmeriCorps program from 75,000 to 250,000 by 2017, establishes a nationwide Call to Service campaign, and expands age and income eligibility for foster grandparents and senior companions.

Buried deep inside the bill, in Section 1302, is a list of programs that are eligible for federal funding. One of these programs is the Education Corps, which the bill calls on to provide--and this is key--"skilled musicians and artists to promote greater community unity through the use of music and arts education and engagement through work in low-income communities, and education, health care, and therapeutic settings, and other work in the public domain with citizens of all ages." That sounds like the Artist Corps to us.  [Reference]

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Championed the importance of arts education.

During the campaign, Barack Obama pledged to "promote the importance of arts and arts education in America." Advocates of the promise say an arts education can help students raise their scores in writing and math, and that understanding of the arts is helpful for success in the modern, globally competitive economy.

Since taking office in January 2009, the Obama administration has made several public statements promoting arts education.

In May, at the opening night of the American Ballet Theater in New York, first lady Michelle Obama said, "Learning through the arts reinforces critical academic skills in reading, language arts and math, and provides students with the skills to creatively solve problems. My husband and I believe strongly that arts education is essential for building innovative thinkers who will be our nation's leaders for tomorrow." [Reference]

WTF-32

Promoted cultural diplomacy.

Back in December 2009 we reported on President Barack Obama's efforts to promote cultural diplomacy by increasing the number of cultural and arts exchanges throughout the world.

At the time, we noted that the House passed legislation earlier in the year that included $600 million -- $62 million more than in 2009 -- for the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, which is responsible for overseeing Department of State cultural initiatives. Meanwhile, the Senate Appropriations Committee provided $635.2 million.

Obama increased the budget for international cultural exchange programs in his 2010 budget. The proposed 2011 budget would lower the amount slightly, but it is still above the 2009 level by tens of millions.  [Reference]

Please make sure to read the next issue, Issue No. 012 - Conservation as I continue with
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