culture purge

This is a bit of a link dump and cross post today regarding MAN's continued coverage of Brandeis and the cudgel being leveled at the arts in this monstrous stimulus plan and state arts funding.

Tyler Green interviews Rose Board Chair Jonathan Lee:

MAN: Last week you said that you wanted to meet with the Brandeis board. Has that happened, will that happen?

Jonathan Lee: I sent the president of the university a letter [Monday] asking to meet with him, with his attorney, and any members of the Brandeis University board that he'd like to have at the meeting. I'd come with a small group of the Rose overseers. I doubt that will happen. My initial outreaches to the board itself have not borne any fruit. My expectation is that won't happen, but I'm making every good-faith effort to have such a meeting.

The LA Times on a need for a cultural jobs bill.

Over at Americans for the Arts we have a replay of the Jesse Helms effect. If you're an artist, most members of Congress don't even conceive of you as a citizen. Check the link and email or call your representatives. Here is the latest bipartisan move.

• Senate Cuts Arts From Economic Stimulus Bill
  02-09-2009: On Friday, February 6, the U.S. Senate, during their consideration of the economic recovery bill, approved an egregious amendment offered by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) by a wide vote margin of 73–24 that stated, “None of the amounts appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be used for any casino or other gambling establishment, aquarium, zoo, golf course, swimming pool, stadium, community park, museum, theater, art center, and highway beautification project.”

  If the Coburn amendment language is included in the final conference version of this legislation, many arts groups will be prevented from receiving economic recovery funds from any portion of this specific stimulus bill. Write your Senators today and let them know that this vote detrimentally impacts nonprofit arts organizations and the jobs they support in your state.