President Joe Biden plans to nominate producer Bruce Cohen and Lady Gaga as co-chairs of the president’s revived Committee on the Arts and Humanities.
Also listed for the commission are musician Jon Batiste; Constance M. Carroll, President of the California Community Colleges Baccalaureate Association; actor George Clooney; Harvard professor Philip J. Deloria; M. Angelica Garcia, President of Berkeley City College; actress Jennifer Garner, art historian, museum director and curator Nora Halpern; Bookstore owner and former congressman Steve Israel; producer and writer Marta Kauffman; producer Ricky Kirshner; actor Troy Kotsur; Bad robot incentives. co-chief executive Katie McGrath; Laura Penn, executive director of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society; artist and educator Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya; Author and Stanford Professor Emeritus Arnold Rampersad; producer and writer Shonda Rhimes; retired attorney and CPA Kimberly Judge Shirley; educator and journalist Horacio Sierra; author and actress Anna Deavere Smith; singer-songwriter Joe Walsh; actress, director and producer Kerry Washington; and Pauline Yu, President Emeritus of the American Council of Learned Sciences.
Biden announced last year that he would revive the committee that was disbanded during Donald Trump’s presidency.
The commission, established in 1982 during the Ronald Reagan administration, advises the president and heads of cultural agencies on ways to increase the importance of the arts, including through government aid.
In 2017, the remaining Obama-era committee members resigned in protest of Trump’s response to the Charlottesville riots. Trump did not renew the executive order for the commission.
Biden issued an executive order in September to revive the commission.
In the order, Biden pledged that his administration would “enhance the cultural vitality of the United States through the advancement of the arts, humanities, and museum and library services,” including promoting equity, accessibility, and opportunity. The Order also promises to “strengthen America’s creative and cultural industries, including by improving and expanding opportunities for artists, humanities, students, educators and heritage practitioners, as well as for museums, libraries, archives, historic sites, colleges and universities. ”, and other institutions that support their work.”
A number of committee members have ties to Biden, including as a donor and supporter of the campaign. Along with Stephanie Cutter, Kirschner served as executive producer during Biden’s inauguration. Kaufmann hosted First Lady Jill Biden at her home in September for a preliminary fundraiser. Batiste performed at a state dinner at the White House in December.
During the Obama administration, Cohen also served as the entertainment industry liaison for Joining Forces, First Lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden’s initiative to support military members, veterans and their families. Lady Gaga performed at Biden’s inauguration and traveled with him to support an initiative against campus sexual assault.
Source: Deadline
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