"...so that we can speak to each other safely… “

Well, now here is an interesting column by Patrick Courrielche.

On Thursday August 6th, I was invited by the National Endowment for the Arts to attend a conference call scheduled for Monday August 10th hosted by the NEA, the White House Office of Public Engagement, and United We Serve....”

Interesting that the White House would be involved. I wonder what their interest was.

Backed by the full weight of President Barack Obama’s call to service and the institutional weight of the NEA, the conference call was billed as an opportunity for those in the art community to inspire service in four key categories, and at the top of the list were “health care” and “energy and environment.” The service was to be attached to the President’s United We Serve campaign, a nationwide federal initiative to make service a way of life for all Americans.

It sounded, how should I phrase it…unusual, that the NEA would invite the art community to a meeting to discuss issues currently under vehement national debate.

Unusual, but to most of the participants, I suspect highly appropriate and far past time.

Throughout the conversation, we were reminded of our ability as artists and art professionals to “shape the lives” of those around us. The now famous Obama “Hope” poster, created by artist Shepard Fairey and promoted by many of those on the phone call, and will.i.am’s “Yes We Can” song and music video were presented as shining examples of our group’s clear role in the election.

Obama has a strong arts agenda, we were told, and has been very supportive of both using and supporting the arts in creative ways to talk about the issues facing the country.

So, could they be talking about turning the National Endowment for the Arts into a national propaganda ministry? Oh, please! Never could such be the case, oh hyperventilating wingnut.

Is building a message distribution network, for matters other than increasing access to the arts and arts education, the role of the National Endowment for the Arts?

Apparently the White House now thinks so, so it isn't a propaganda ministry: It's an arts group.

The NEA is the nation’s largest annual funder of the arts. That is right, the largest funder of the arts in the nation - a fact that I’m sure was not lost on those that were on the call, including myself. One of the NEA’s major functions is providing grants to artists and arts organizations. The NEA has also historically shown the ability to attract “matching funds” for the art projects and foundations that they select. So we have the nation’s largest arts funder, which is a federal agency staffed by the administration, with those that they potentially fund together on a conference call discussing taking action on issues under vigorous national debate. Does there appear to be any potential for conflict here?

No. Of course not. There is no conflict between liberal Democrats using the state to promote the state. That's what the state is for. Hence, no conflict.

Well, until the Republicans get back in control, of course. Then it would be criminal.

Discussed throughout the conference call was a hope that this group would be one that would carry on past the United We Serve campaign to support the President’s initiatives and those issues for which the group was passionate.

The NEA,, by the way, is reported to have received $50,000,000 in "stimulus" funds.

Artists shouldn’t be used as tools of the state to help create a climate amenable to their positions....

That is just so negative. Uncle Joe disagreed vigorously.

And if you think that my fear regarding the arts becoming a tool of the state is still unfounded, I leave you with a few statements made by the NEA to the art community participants on the conference call. “This is just the beginning. This is the first telephone call of a brand new conversation. We are just now learning how to really bring this community together to speak with the government. What that looks like legally?…bare (sic) with us as we learn the language so that we can speak to each other safely… “

Courrielche also authored The Artist Formerly Known as Dissident. I wonder how many more conference calls with the Ministry of Propaga...NEA/White House Office of Public Engagement he'll be invited to attend in the future.

Jim Lindgren has some thoughts over at Volokh Conspiracy.