Our President Elect has an Arts Platform. Not just that, he believes that the arts have a vital role to play in our nation's much-needed economic revival. His Platform notes that not only is arts education indispensable for success in a rapidly changing, high skill, information economy, but studies show that arts education raises test scores in other subject areas as well. "To remain competitive in the global economy," Obama has said, "America needs to reinvigorate the kind of creativity and innovation that has made this country great. To do so, we must nourish our children’s creative skills. In addition to giving our children the science and math skills they need to compete in the new global context, we should also encourage the ability to think creatively that comes from a meaningful arts
education."
The President elect also believes that through art exchange American artists, performers and thinkers can inspire people both at home and all over the world. "Our nation's creativity has filled the world's libraries, museums, recital halls, movie houses, and marketplaces with works of genius," in Obama's view. At the same time, he sees opening America’s doors to students and professional artists from abroad as a means to provide the kind of two-way cultural understanding that can break down the barriers that feed hatred and fear. Obama has promised to improve and expand public-private partnerships to expand cultural and arts exchanges throughout the world.
He supports health care initiatives that will benefit artists and Artist-Museum Partnership Act that would allow artists to deduct the fair
market value of their work, rather than just the costs of the materials, when they make charitable contributions.
You can read the entire platform at http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/issues/additional/Obama_FactSheet_Arts.pdf
Here's a summary of Obama's art recommendations:
Reinvest in Arts Education:
Expand Public/Private Partnerships Between Schools and Arts Organizations.
Create an Artist Corps.
Publicly Champion the Importance of Arts Education.
Support Increased Funding for the NEA.
Promote Cultural Diplomacy.
Attract Foreign Talent.
Provide Health Care to Artists.
Ensure Tax Fairness for Artists. |
