NEWLY REVEALED DOCUMENTS Contradict NEA Chairman Landesman

“The former NEA Director of Communications acted unilaterally and without the approval or authorization of then-Acting Chairman Patrice Walker Powell.” – Rocco Landesman, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, on September 22, 2009

Chairman Landesman’s claim that Yosi Sergant, the former NEA Communications Director, acted “unilaterally” on the controversial August 10th conference call is not only beginning to erode, but new documents obtained by Judicial Watch under the Freedom of Information Act show that another federal employee thought the arts effort was entering murky legal waters.

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In an email dated July 30, 2009, Nellie Abernathy, a representative of the federal program United We Serve, sent an email to Sergant to inquire of his interest in attending a meeting regarding 9/11 events – the culmination day of the United We Serve campaign. In the email Abernathy states (emphasis added):

“Just got off the phone with [redacted]. They’re interested in helping produce some 9/11 events and will be in DC next week. Any chance you could join us for a meeting Tuesday morning? Or does this fall into that sketchy grey we might get arrested area?”

Sergant responded, “I’d love to.” (more…)

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Tags: Buffy Wicks, national endowment for the arts, nea, Nell Abernathy, rocco landesman
Posted Nov 12th 2009 at 5:03 am in Art, Featured Story, Politics | 261522192 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/pcourrielche/2009/11/12/newly-released-emails-appear-to-contradict-nea-chair-landesmans-statement/NEWLY+REVEALED+DOCUMENTS+Contradict+NEA+Chairman+Landesman2009-11-12+13%3A03%3A19Patrick+Courrielche

‘Sesame Street’: All Monsters Are Equal?

The Public Broadcasting System’s taxpayer-funded ‘Sesame Street’ has, at cursory glance, presented young American children with what colorfully appears to be one of television’s few safe havens of educational fun. 

Yet, embedded in its visually intoxicating muppetry and otherwise innocently entertaining educational content there lurks highly controversial political messages designed to promote multiculturalism and global citizenship:

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 ”We all sing with the same voice, the same song, the same voice. We all sing with the same voice and we sing in harmony… 

I live in southern France, I’m from a Texas ranch, I come from Mecca and Peru… I come from everywhere, and my name is you…” 

That’s right kids! We’re ‘All’ the ‘same’… um, except that we’re all different.  (more…)

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Tags: nea, Obama, Orwell, Sesame Street
Posted Nov 3rd 2009 at 12:33 pm in Art, Featured Story, Politics, Television | 257210134 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/abaldwin/2009/11/03/sesame-street-all-monsters-are-equal/%27Sesame+Street%27%3A+All+Monsters+Are+Equal%3F2009-11-03+20%3A33%3A05Adam+Baldwin

Judicial Watch: ‘NEA Propaganda Effort Grew Out of Obama Campaign’

President Obama with Yosi Sergant

Press release from Judicial Watch:

“(Washington, DC) — Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that it obtained more documents from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in response to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests related to the NEA’s controversial August 10 conference call encouraging artists to create work that promotes the Obama agenda.  The documents consist of internal NEA emails indicating the idea for the NEA propaganda effort grew out the Obama campaign while also providing new details regarding White House involvement.  The Corporation for National and Community Service, which runs the AmeriCorps program, was represented during the call.  The agencies and the White House were supposedly promoting the administration’s United We Serve political initiative.  The emails include the actual conference call invitation, which details the controversial policy agenda that was being promoted.  (The controversial call was first uncovered by www.BigGovernment.com. Other documents about the call were first released last week by Judicial Watch.) 

“The following are email excerpts:  (more…)

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Tags: Barack Obama, FOIA, Judicial Watch, nea, Obama
Posted Nov 2nd 2009 at 10:35 am in Art, Politics | 25671083 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/bighollywood/2009/11/02/judicial-watch-nea-propaganda-effort-grew-out-of-obama-campaign/Judicial+Watch%3A+%27NEA+Propaganda+Effort+Grew+Out+of+Obama+Campaign%272009-11-02+17%3A35%3A54Big+Hollywood

Big Hollywood Report Card: NEA Chairman Landesman’s First 12 Weeks

When Broadway Producer/Theatre Owner Rocco Landesman took the reins of the National Endowment of the Arts last August, he told the NY Times:

“I wouldn’t have come to the N.E.A. if it was just about padding around in the agency,” he said, and worrying about which nonprofits deserve more funds. “We need to have a seat at the big table with the grown-ups. Art should be part of the plans to come out of this recession.  If we’re going to have any traction at all, there has to be a place for us in domestic policy.”

An odd assertion considering the job description of the role he’s filling at this non-partisan, independent, government agency is, basically to “Worry about which nonprofits deserve more funds“.  Seriously, that’s the job, always has been.  And when one reads the original legislation creating the agency Landesman now runs, there is nothing to be found about being a part of domestic policy.  But, the same party who can read “Promote the General Welfare” in our Constitution and re-interpret it to mean that Barbara Boxer can decide which doctor I can visit, can easily over-reach with the NEA legislation too, I suppose. (more…)

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Tags: health care, nea, Obama, rocco landesman, Yosi Sergant
Posted Nov 2nd 2009 at 9:12 am in Art, Politics | 25617017 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/sright/2009/11/02/a-big-hollywood-report-card-nea-chairman-landesmans-first-12-weeks/Big+Hollywood+Report+Card%3A+NEA+Chairman+Landesman%27s+First+12+Weeks2009-11-02+16%3A12%3A36Stage+Right

NEA Chair Rocco Landesman Mocks Critics

About ten days ago, in a widely ridiculed address to the 2009 Grantmakers in the Arts Conference – so widely ridiculed he had to walk his Obama-Caesar gushing back some – embattled NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman took a moment to launch a shot at his critics:

Am I starting to sound like an advocate? Well, that seems to be a touchy subject. Some quote-unquote “journalists” have recently accused this agency of losing its independence and becoming a propaganda machine.

Ooh, ouch, that stings: “quote-unquote journalists.” I would have responded sooner but the insult went over my head. You see, in the world where I reside — the land of Where Decent People Try To Do The Right Thing –  accusing someone of “not being a real journalist” is like accusing them of “not being a dishonest left-wing poseur with more affectations than a washed-up Shakespearean stage actor.”

But what a punk thing for Landesman to do; acting like the big mouth kid who after a well-deserved playground thumping runs home to talk big in front his fat, fawning Aunts. Gee, Rocco, if you and yours hold so much contempt for your critics, why respond to their criticisms in such dramatic ways: (more…)

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Tags: Caesar, Culture Future, Lee Rosenbaum, nea, Obama
Posted Nov 2nd 2009 at 6:43 am in Art, Politics | 25637035 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/jjmnolte/2009/11/02/nea-chair-rocco-landesman-mocks-critics/NEA+Chair+Rocco+Landesman+Mocks+Critics2009-11-02+13%3A43%3A32John+Nolte

NEWLY UNCOVERED EMAILS REVEAL: Federal Volunteer Agency Misrepresented Involvement in White House, NEA Conference Call

Recently revealed documents obtained by Judicial Watch from the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) show a few interesting facts and supports the claims made in my earlier articles– namely, Yosi Sergant, the former NEA Communications Director, did not work alone in organizing the controversial August 10th conference call; that the White House Office of Public Engagement was fully aware of his efforts; and most importantly, that The Corporation for National and Community Service misrepresented who actually initiated the meeting.

On August 28th, Josh Miller of Foxnews.com reported “Siobhan Dugan, a spokeswoman for [The Corporation for National and Community Service], said the call was organized by an ‘individual interested’ in the group…”

This statement does not correspond with the facts.

The FOIA documents clearly show that on July 29th at 3:39pm, Nell Abernathy, a representative of The Corporation, emailed Yosi Sergant, former Communications Director of the National Endowment for the Arts, indicating that she was the person behind the content of the meeting when she stated (emphasis added):

Thanks for chatting yesterday – I’m attaching a few docs and running through what I think are my next steps.

She goes on to discuss the “Art event coordination” and provides an invite and draft of the meeting agenda to Sergant. Abernathy also states, “What is a reasonable time frame for getting together a list and recruiting some of your friends to lead?” This is in direct contradiction to the above claim by Siobhan Dugan of The Corporation. (more…)

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Tags: arts, August 10th, conference call, Corporation, emails
Posted Nov 2nd 2009 at 4:24 am in Art, Featured Story, Politics | 25645083 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/pcourrielche/2009/11/02/newly-uncovered-emails-reveal-federal-volunteer-agency-misrepresented-involvement-in-white-house-nea-conference-call/NEWLY+UNCOVERED+EMAILS+REVEAL%3A+Federal+Volunteer+Agency+Misrepresented+Involvement+in+White+House%2C+NEA+Conference+Call2009-11-02+11%3A24%3A26Patrick+Courrielche

Jonah Goldberg: NEA Chair Kowtows to His Caesar

By demonstrating with brazenly self-abasing ignorance that he is wholly Obama’s man, Landesman is making it clear that the NEA is completely committed to Obamaism.

NEA Chair Rocco Landesman

Jonah Goldberg in today’s National Review:

“Last week, Landesman gave the keynote address to the 2009 Grantmakers in the Arts Conference. In fairness, Landesman did not reaffirm the White House and NEA’s obvious initial intent to turn the allegedly independent government agency into an adjunct of Obama’s “Organizing for America” operation. He was more subtle than that.

“Instead, Landesman embraced a timeless tactic of power politics. He debased himself with incandescently vulgar obsequiousness to his supreme leader. “There is a new president and a new NEA,” he proclaimed. “This is the first president that actually writes his own books since Teddy Roosevelt and arguably the first to write them really well since Lincoln. If you accept the premise, and I do, that the United States is the most powerful country in the world, then Barack Obama is the most powerful writer since Julius Caesar. That has to be good for American artists.” (more…)

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Tags: Caesar, Jonah Goldberg, National review, nea, Obama
Posted Oct 30th 2009 at 9:53 am in Art, Politics | 25559848 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/bighollywood/2009/10/30/jonah-goldberg-nea-chair-kowtows-to-his-caesar/Jonah+Goldberg%3A+NEA+Chair+Kowtows+to+His+Caesar2009-10-30+16%3A53%3A23Big+Hollywood

Courrielche Debates ObamaVision on ‘O’Reilly’

My favorite part of this debate is how the NY Post’s Linda Stasi, when referring to the infamous leaked memo, mentions the “military family” part of the memo twice, but never once “health, or “environmental conservation.” And, of course, this is why, in the laundry list of suggested topics, “support for military families” was added (last) — so that people like Stasi could parrot that particular talking point as bipartisan cover:

My second favorite part is Stasi’s statement about how the memo “doesn’t talk about Obama’s health care…”

What a canard. Like the NEA conference calls, there’s no need to force feed fish marked “ObamaCare” to an audience of partisan seals. All you have to do is toss the issue out there. The White House knows this and so, I suspect, does Stasi. In her own circular logic she actually makes that point when arguing ”Old Christine” produced a pro-ObamaCare episode without even being asked. Thank you, Linda — this is exactly why the memo didn’t have to mention “Obama’s health care” specifically… Minions don’t need GPS. Just point. (more…)

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Tags: Fox News, hollywood, Juan Williams, Linda Stasi, nea
Posted Oct 17th 2009 at 8:53 am in Politics, Television | 24866249 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/jjmnolte/2009/10/17/patrick-with-juan-williams-and-tv-critic-on-oreilly/Courrielche+Debates+ObamaVision+on+%27O%27Reilly%272009-10-17+15%3A53%3A46John+Nolte

I Want My NEA Grant!

Chairman Rocco Landesman
National Endowment for the Arts (NEA),  Washington, D.C.

Dear Chairman Landesman:

With all this fuss on Big Hollywood.com, Big Government.com and elsewhere over the NEA’s government-funded forays into partisan political propaganda, I thought maybe we could help each other out. 

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Right now, you probably want to support some art that addresses vital current issues from a right-wing perspective in order to demonstrate your impartiality (ha ha!), and I just want to cash in your organization’s evident willingness to spend good tax money on any kind of nonsense that can be passed-off as “art” (ca-ching!)   

Well, I am uniquely suited to provide you with just what you’re looking for!  As a college student, I got a “B” in my Visual Arts 1 class for dressing up a juniper bush in one of my Hawaiian shirts to draw attention to man’s essential oneness with nature while providing a stinging critique of America’s consumerist culture.  Sure, my black-clad, Bauhaus-loving classmates protested that I was a fraud who was more concerned with collecting four easy credits than internalizing our professor’s commie insights about how expressionism equals imperialism, but hey – aren’t all great artists rebels?   Or, at least, weren’t they before last January 20th? (more…)

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Tags: Andres Serrano, Bauhaus, biggovernment.com, BigHollywood.com, healthcare reform
Posted Oct 16th 2009 at 8:23 am in Art, Politics | 24274218 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/kschlichter/2009/10/16/i-want-my-nea-grant/I+Want+My+NEA+Grant%212009-10-16+15%3A23%3A43Kurt+Schlichter

LEAKED NETWORK MEMO REVEALS: Obama Controls Your Television Set

On September 10th of this year the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) posted a press release informing the world that “from October 19-25, more than 60 network TV shows [will] spotlight the power and personal benefits of service,” and that this “unprecedented block of TV programming is the first wave of a multi-year ‘I Participate’ campaign.”

On its face this all sounds rather benign in that silly, liberal do-gooder kind of way. The networks have launched these kinds of campaigns before and other than some clunky exposition awkwardly inserted into your favorite show to meet the mandate — no harm, no foul.

But this year there are a couple new strangers in town: “Volunteerism” and “Service.” You’ve heard of them. Their names have been bandied everywhere since President Obama took office, and this internal memo from the EIF to network showrunners obtained by Big Hollywood shows that the entertainment industry is well acquainted and eager to introduce both to as vast an audience as possible: (more…)

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Tags: EIF, Entertainment, Entertainment Industry Foundation, I Participate, nea
Posted Oct 15th 2009 at 3:04 am in Entertainment, Politics | 246630851 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/jjmnolte/2009/10/15/leaked-memo-reveals-the-white-house-has-control-of-your-television-set/LEAKED+NETWORK+MEMO+REVEALS%3A+Obama+Controls+Your+Television+Set2009-10-15+10%3A04%3A39John+Nolte

Part III: Obama Controls Your Television Set — Serve.gov or Serf.dom?

National service and volunteerism is a top priority of both the President and the First Lady. A broad effort has been launched to promote this priority. We’ve seen this in the May 12th White House briefing, the August 10th and 27th art community conference calls, and now in a new effort by the Entertainment Industry Foundation, entitled iParticipate, that is encouraging broadcast media to infuse national service stories into their show plots. The First Lady has even created a video expressing the importance of national service.

All of these efforts are driving would-be volunteers to Serve.gov. The question is, for what purpose?

Buffy Wicks

Encouraging volunteerism is a noble effort undertaken by every US President. However, this Administration’s national service outreach has led on multiple occasions to outright policy advocacy. I’ve shown this throughout my writing on the subject, with a primary focus on the National Endowment for the Arts. However, the Corporation for National and Community Service is playing an even bigger role in this White House effort, and I don’t think general volunteerism is the only goal in mind.  (more…)

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Tags: artists, Buffy Wicks, iParticipate, nea, Nell Abernathy
Posted Oct 15th 2009 at 3:02 am in Entertainment, Featured Story, Politics | 24659878 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/pcourrielche/2009/10/15/obama-controls-your-television-set-part-iii-serve-gov-or-serf-dom/Part+III%3A+Obama+Controls+Your+Television+Set+--+Serve.gov+or+Serf.dom%3F2009-10-15+10%3A02%3A31Patrick+Courrielche

Politicizing the Arts Community: What Did the White House Do Wrong?

The allegations raised in “White House Creates ACORN for the Arts” and prior stories about the NEA enlisting artists who receive government grants to support President Obama’s political goals certainly raise a number of issues.  Foremost among them is whether such actions violate White House policy and potentially federal law.  The White House Counsel was concerned enough about the conference call that it was compelled to issue new guidelines for public outreach meetings, noting that some of the comments on the call may have been “misunderstood as seeking to inappropriately politicize activities of the NEA.”  But beyond violating these White House guidelines, which could result in further forced resignations but little else, what is really at issue with the alleged conduct?

By seeking to enlist the private sector in lobbying for the President’s agenda, the alleged conduct may have violated the Anti-Lobbying Act (18 U.S.C. §1913), which as Ben Shapiro pointed out in a previous piece, explicitly provides:

No part of the money appropriated by any enactment of Congress shall, in the absence of express authorization by Congress, be used directly or indirectly to pay for any personal service, advertisement, telegram, telephone, letter, printed or written matter, or other device, intended or designed to influence in any manner a Member of Congress, a jurisdiction, or an official of any government, to favor, adopt, or oppose by vote or otherwise, any legislation, law, ratification, policy, or appropriation, whether before or after the introduction of any bill, measure or resolution proposing such legislation, law, ratification, policy or appropriation.

The Anti-Lobbying Act, according to government handbooks, prevents government employees from engaging in “substantial ‘grass roots’ lobbying campaigns … expressly urging individuals to contact government officials in support of or opposition to legislation …. Provid[ing] administrative support for lobbing activities of private organizations”

(more…)

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Tags: Anti-Lobbying Act, Ben Shapiro, Buffy Wicks, Hatch Act, henry waxman
Posted Oct 8th 2009 at 10:01 am in Art, Politics | 243346No Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/spakovskyberke/2009/10/08/politicizing-the-arts-community-what-did-the-white-house-do-wrong/Politicizing+the+Arts+Community%3A+What+Did+the+White+House+Do+Wrong%3F2009-10-08+17%3A01%3A06Hans+von+Spakovsky+and+Elliot+S.+Berke

Patrick Courrilche on ‘Glenn Beck’

Patrick Courrielche discussed his pieces here and here with Glenn Beck on Monday. For those of you who missed it, or those of you who want to relive the magic once more:

Part II after the jump. (more…)

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Tags: Buffy, Buffy Wicks, Glenn Beck, Michael Skolnik, nea
Posted Oct 8th 2009 at 12:01 am in Politics, Video | 2428864 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/bighollywood/2009/10/08/patrick-courrilche-on-glenn-beck/Patrick+Courrilche+on+%27Glenn+Beck%272009-10-08+07%3A01%3A13Big+Hollywood

Olympian Fail: Valerie Jarrett’s Third Strike?

Valerie Jarrett, Barack Obama’s long-time Chicago crony and current White House special advisor, may have just struck out with her ill advice for the president’s IOC blunder in Copenhagen. 

As LA Examiner’s Kelli Kobor noted yesterday: 

It is unlikely that the Obamas will eject a close and trusted friend from their inner circle over a relatively minor (as these things go) political embarrassment.  But it is an open question whether Jarrett can withstand a steady string of scandals, of which her handling of the Olympics is only the most recent.  Just two months ago she was wounded by her association with “Green Jobs Czar” Van Jones, who had to resign when it was revealed that he had signed more than one petition accusing George W. Bush’s White House of complicity in the 9/11 terrorist attacks.  

Ms. Kobor wisely notes strikes 1 & 3.  (more…)

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Tags: nea, Obama, Olympics, Valeri Jarrett, White House
Posted Oct 5th 2009 at 1:55 pm in Politics | 24108274 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/abaldwin/2009/10/05/olympian-fail-valerie-jarretts-third-strike/Olympian+Fail%3A+Valerie+Jarrett%E2%80%99s+Third+Strike%3F2009-10-05+20%3A55%3A20Adam+Baldwin

Open Letter to Congress Regarding NEA Chairman’s Statement

I’m writing in regards to Chairman Landesman’s response to Senator Enzi’s National Endowment for the Arts inquiry (below). I want to first thank Senator Enzi and the other Senators for taking the time to compose the inquiry. I also want to thank Senator Cornyn for his early inquiry on the August 10th conference call.

NEA_Statement –

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Although I appreciate Chairman Landesman’s actions in adding additional safeguards to protect the integrity of the NEA mission, I thought you should be aware of some of the details not mentioned in his response.

Chairman Landesman made no mention of a NEA grantee, Americans for the Arts, which was on the August 10th conference call and within 2 days of the meeting sent out a press release, endorsed by 16 other NEA grantees, urging Congress to pass legislation creating universal health care. That fact was first reported by the Washington Times. (more…)

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Tags: nea, rocco landesman, Senator Enzi, White House
Posted Oct 5th 2009 at 12:35 pm in Art, Politics | 24070626 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/pcourrielche/2009/10/05/open-letter-to-congress-regarding-nea-chairmans-statement/Open+Letter+to+Congress+Regarding+NEA+Chairman%27s+Statement2009-10-05+19%3A35%3A12Patrick+Courrielche

The Big Truth: Selling White House Policy Through Art

A few days ago I received a call from my cousin. He’d been hearing some chatter from the family about something happening with a series of NEA articles that I’d written for Big Hollywood and wanted to find out from the horse’s mouth what was going on. His question was simple and concise.

“What did the White House do wrong?” he asked.

“The White House attempted to use federal agencies for political gain,” I blurted out.

President Obama with former NEA Communications Director Yosi Sergant

And that is The Big Truth in a nutshell. A moment of clarity hit me, and as with most eureka moments, a path of how to explain this big truth came into sight. The full story needed to be told – including possible collusion, the White House’s novel mode of operation, and the eventual cover-up – to fully understand and illuminate the government’s intention with their arts effort.

Up until now, I have not discussed Sergant’s former job in the White House Office of Public Engagement, where Buffy Wicks currently resides, because the story had to develop to understand the significance. I also haven’t discussed the email that I received from Michael Skolnik, the moderator of the call, immediately after the publication of the original conference call article – an email that attempted to revise history and the role of the NEA and the White House in the meeting. And what has yet to be discussed is the White House’s recent ability to set up an ArtistCorps, brought into existence with less than 20 words in the Serve America Act. (more…)

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Tags: Buffy Wicks, Michael Skolnik, nea, Nell Abernathy, Obama
Posted Oct 5th 2009 at 12:34 pm in Art, Featured Story, Politics | 24014674 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/pcourrielche/2009/10/05/the-big-truth-selling-white-house-policy-through-art/The+Big+Truth%3A+Selling+White+House+Policy+Through+Art2009-10-05+19%3A34%3A16Patrick+Courrielche

Beck/Courrielche on The White House’s Politicization of Art: Today on FNC 5pm ET/2pm PST

Patrick Courrielche will appear on Glenn Beck’s FNC show today to discuss his latest article, “The Big Truth: Selling White House Policy Through Art.”

Make sure to tune in.

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Tags: Fox News, Glenn Beck, nea, Patrick Courrielche, White House
Posted Oct 5th 2009 at 12:30 pm in Art, Politics | 24084217 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/bighollywood/2009/10/05/courrielche-to-appear-on-glenn-beck-today-fnc-5pm-et2pm-pst/Beck%2FCourrielche+on+The+White+House%27s+Politicization+of+Art%3A+Today+on+FNC+5pm+ET%2F2pm+PST2009-10-05+19%3A30%3A05Big+Hollywood

White House Creates ACORN for the Arts

Over the last week, Big Hollywood and Big Government have been extensively covering the August 10 conference call between the National Endowment for the Arts and a group of artists – a call on which the artists were encouraged to support President Obama’s agenda, with the tacit promise that they would be handsomely rewarded with government grants.  The NEA representative on the call was then-Communications Director of the NEA Yosi Sergant.

Now we have new evidence that the White House itself has been using its sway to recruit artists – not just to support President Obama’s “volunteerism” initiatives, but to support basic planks of his political agenda, including health care.  In fact, the White House has been tapping its extragovernmental political allies to work with artists with the tacit promise that NEA funds will be in the offing for those who join the Obama Administration political program. (more…)

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Tags: ACORN, Barack Obama, Congress, health care, healthcare
Posted Oct 5th 2009 at 9:53 am in Art, Politics | 240798One Commenthttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/bshapiro/2009/10/05/white-house-creates-acorn-for-the-arts/White+House+Creates+ACORN+for+the+Arts2009-10-05+16%3A53%3A14Ben+Shapiro

Artists: Another ‘Entitlement’ Group

I must admit that when I first heard about the National Endowment for the Arts conference call to enlist the arts community in propagandizing the White House’s agenda, I was a little mystified as to why it was so controversial.  After all, the NEA, through its funding choices, has been actively undermining American values for many years.  Way back in 1986 we were treated to the scandal of Andres Serrano getting $15,000 from the NEA for his mediocre photo of a plastic crucifix in his own urine – “Piss Christ.”  That is just one of a myriad of egregious examples of NEA funding going to support dubious “art” that functions solely to corrode the fabric of civilized society.

Sure, the NEA gives money to major established arts organizations – symphonies, ballet companies, repertory theater groups, and the like — but that is how they maintain their veneer of staid respectability, all the while promulgating their Leftist, nihilistic agenda through their smaller grants.  For example, I know a truly great American artist, Harry Carmean, who, among his other credits, was the Chairman of the Fine Arts Department at the Art Center College of Design  in Pasadena, California and taught there for 43 years.  He applied for NEA grants repeatedly to help fund his work but was rejected each time because his paintings were deemed “not edgy enough.”   Translation: he actually possesses artistic talent, skill, and discipline, which he uses to create beauty instead of pseudo-artistic, politicized claptrap.  We all know he would have had a far better chance of getting a grant out of the subjective and ideologically driven apparatchiks at the NEA had he used dog feces to paint images of female genitalia. (more…)

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Tags: Andrew Serrano, Art, national endowment for the arts, nea, NEA Scandal
Posted Oct 5th 2009 at 8:22 am in Art, Politics | 23498212 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/ebalogh/2009/10/05/artists-another-entitlement-group/Artists%3A+Another+%27Entitlement%27+Group2009-10-05+15%3A22%3A25Endre+Balogh

The War on Propaganda

“The essence of propaganda consists in winning people over to an idea so sincerely, so vitally, that in the end they succumb to it utterly and can never escape from it.” Joseph Goebbels

There is no shame in artists receiving monetary compensation to sell ideas, products or a presidential agenda. When everything is transparent and contracted aboveboard, this is called advertising. When this process is whispered into being, strategized and set into motion from the shadows of government and from behind closed doors, it is propaganda.

From Sun Tzu to Psy Ops, propaganda has won wars, toppled cultures and changed civilizations. As a self-identified enlightened and educated culture, we  thought ourselves beyond such base manipulation. We were wrong.

Where were the voices of dissent on the NEA conference call when so called “artists” were asked to further the President’s agenda?

I have danced ballets and I have done commercials; one side art, the other side business. What side were the NEA recipients on? (more…)

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Tags: 9/12 DC rally, Constitution Revolution, Goebbels, hate speech, Hitler
Posted Oct 5th 2009 at 6:46 am in Entertainment, Politics | 23500294 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/cburgard/2009/10/05/the-war-on-propaganda/The+War+on+Propaganda+2009-10-05+13%3A46%3A35Chris+Burgard

Art is Stuff …and Stuff Happens

This stuff doesn’t happen on its own.  Somebody must create it.  Art is the product of conscious action.  But art cannot be considered ‘art’…until it is named.  It must be called ‘art.’  And it seems today that regardless of the number of dissenters from that designation, if one person decides that something is art – it’s art, dammit.  End of discussion.  For to impugn its veracity would be to malign someone’s character.  It might even get you called ‘racist.’ To tell an artist that what he or she has produced is not ‘art’ would be spewing hate speech just as though you’d burned a cross on their lawn or dipped a crucifix in urine.  (Oh wait…that’s been done.  And come to think of it…that was called art.   Ahhh…I am beginning to see many disparities and conflicts in the rational line here.)

Help me along — I am apparently a bit slow.  Something is ‘art’ if the ‘artist’ says it is art.  Even if the viewer of said art is highly offended and appalled by this so-called art.  Then it’s his or her problem… get over it…go back to Wasilla and blow up a moose. 

But should you dare suggest that it might not be the best use of public funds to bankroll exhibitions that the majority of Americans consider to be highly offensive and even pornographic —  well…then you obviously must be a hate-filled, intolerant, racist homophobe, and you are to be minimalized as a right-wing fringe kook.  (more…)

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Tags: Art, free market, Maplethorpe, nea, Obama
Posted Sep 28th 2009 at 7:22 am in Art, Culture, Politics | 234662105 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/ggraham/2009/09/28/art-is-stuff-and-stuff-happens/Art+is+Stuff+...and+Stuff+Happens2009-09-28+14%3A22%3A36Gary+Graham

Why Wasn’t I Invited to the NEA Conference Call?

This whole flap over at the NEA has a lot of folks’ underwear in a bunch.  Sure, the idea of the White House using the NEA as the “Hope and Change Department of Propaganda” is disturbing.  But even more troubling is the fact that I didn’t get an invitation to the goddamn conference call!

And I quote: “It’s time for us as a group of artists, producers, promoters, organizers, influencers, marketers, tastemakers, leaders or just plain cool people to join together…”

I’m a producer and an artist.  I’m even a leader at times.  And anyone who’s ever had one of my patented kick-ass margaritas (SeizureRitas®) can attest to my tastemaking abilities!  Just to prove my worth to the cause, I’d like to submit the below painting, an homage to German artist Hubert Lanzinger, I call “Obama, the Standard Bearer.” (more…)

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Tags: "Bacon Wagon", Hubert Lanzinger, nea, NEA Scandal, Obama
Posted Sep 27th 2009 at 3:03 pm in Art, Featured Story, Politics | 23395029 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/bigx/2009/09/27/why-wasnt-i-invited-to-the-nea-conference-call/Why+Wasn%27t+I+Invited+to+the+NEA+Conference+Call%3F2009-09-27+22%3A03%3A20Big+X

Wash Times: White House, NEA Stonewall About Scandal

A full investigation by both Congress and the NEA inspector general is the only way to bring this story to a close.

Today’s Washington Times:

The facts are simple and public. During the transition, President Obama’s top arts adviser made it clear that his ambition was for the arts to become an integral part of the West Wing. After the inauguration, meetings of artists and political activists at the White House explicitly discussed how to keep the arts community in campaign mode to back Mr. Obama’s legislative agenda. An NEA grants official, Mario Garcia Durham, was at one such meeting for which the attendee list is public.

President Obama with Yosi Sergant

As those meetings occurred, Yosi Sergant, a key cog in the Obama campaign’s outreach to artists, was transferred from a position at the White House to a position as the communications director of the NEA. When the grant spigots opened at the NEA, more than $2 million went directly into the coffers of arts organizations (and their members) attending these meetings and publicly backing elements of the administration agenda. (more…)

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Tags: nea, Obama, President Obama, rocco landesman, Yose Sergant
Posted Sep 27th 2009 at 7:40 am in Art, Politics | 23650619 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/bighollywood/2009/09/27/wash-times-white-house-and-nea-stonewall-about-scandal/Wash+Times%3A+White+House%2C+NEA+Stonewall+About+Scandal2009-09-27+14%3A40%3A15Big+Hollywood

Latest NEA Controversy Isn’t the First

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is always one of the hottest topics in the theatre community.  A huge amount of theatre in the US is created or presented at non-profit theatres that operate under the protection of or were first started with grants from the National Endowment for the Arts.

The latest NEA controversy broken here at Big Hollywood by Patrick Courrielche has become a fascinating Rorschach test within the theatre community.  The response has been disappointing yet predictable from the left-leaning proponents of the NEA and this administration.

Robert Mapplethorpe

To fully expose the inconsistencies and intellectually dishonest positions they have taken in their knee-jerk defense of everything Obama, we first need a little background for the Big Hollywood readers who might not remember all of the details in the recent history of controversies with regard to NEA funding in the theatre community.

NEA Primer: Now I don’t pretend to suggest that the following breakdown of the NEA struggles dating back to 1990 is a definitive or even thorough explanation of the recent history of left vs. right combat over the NEA.  I encourage all of my readers to research and read about this issue.  And, I especially want them to read the perspective of liberals/progressives/leftists who were in the middle of the struggle on the other side.  It is informative and enlightening to read how they really feel about the subject. (more…)

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Tags: Andres Serrano, Jesse Helms, Karen Finley, National Endowmen, national endowment for the arts
Posted Sep 26th 2009 at 5:31 pm in Art, Featured Story, Politics | 22737084 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/sright/2009/09/26/latest-nea-controversy-isnt-the-first/Latest+NEA+Controversy+Isn%27t+the+First2009-09-27+00%3A31%3A39Stage+Right

Henry Waxman AWOL on NEA and ACORN

I am running for Congress for the seat currently held by Henry Waxman and the events of the past week give me the opportunity to highlight the differences in ideas and actions between Congressman Waxman and Myself.

So, what would Ari David do about the NEA and ACORN scandals?

I would unleash Congressional hearings on ACORN and hearings on all of the government officials involved in the NEA propaganda conference call. I would also immediately call a press conference and do whatever I could to make the media cover the story. One perk of being in public life is being able to draw attention to an issue. These scandals are issues that are screaming for more public attention. (more…)

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Tags: ACORN, Ari David, Emanuel, henry waxman, Jarret
Posted Sep 26th 2009 at 3:01 pm in Art, Politics | 23333849 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/adavid/2009/09/26/what-would-ari-do/Henry+Waxman+AWOL+on+NEA+and+ACORN2009-09-26+22%3A01%3A41Ari+David

Art Will Not Be Silenced! — Win a $33.18 Grant From the Iowahawk Endowment for the Arts

Like you, when I read that a cabal of art-hating reactionary philistines had forced the resignation of Yosi Sergant from the National Endowment for the Arts, I was sickened. This was followed by shame, then fear. And then, finally, the realization that here was a golden opportunity for cheap blog traffic.

As a renowned collector of dumpster art and pork industry commemorative plates, I made a solemn vow to myself: this injustice will not stand. If these radicals are allowed to bring down the NEA’s Assistant Liaison for Art Community Outreach — for merely organizing an innocent devotional art program — who is next on their dangerous anti-culture agenda? The NEA Undersecretary for Public Engagement? Western Civilization itself?

No, my friends, the stakes are too high. We in the Arts community must confront these vulgarian bullies and let them know that ART WILL NOT BE SILENCED. To show my personal commitment to this important cause, last night I dug deep into my kid’s sock drawer and found $33.18, which I am now fully dedicating to an endowment to fund creative art aimed at promoting me and my agenda.  (more…)

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Tags: Art, grant, nea, Yosi Sergant
Posted Sep 25th 2009 at 5:39 pm in Art, Political Humor | 23599441 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/dburge/2009/09/25/art-will-not-be-silenced-win-a-33-18-grant-from-the-iowahawk-endowment-for-the-arts/Art+Will+Not+Be+Silenced%21+--+Win+a+%2433.18+Grant+From+the+Iowahawk+Endowment+for+the+Arts2009-09-26+00%3A39%3A48Iowahawk

‘Pioneer of Guerrilla Marketing,’ Specialist in ‘Leveraging’ Arts Community for Health Care Issues Coincidentally in on NEA Conference Call

The NEA apology from the White House is laughable, at best.  Again, if this was just all a big misunderstanding then why was a representative from one of the country’s largest political advertising firms involved?  And pushing the health care agenda on company time?

I believe the following information might help explain Bim Ayandele’s involvement.  Not only did he help set up the Office of Public Engagement, but before joining a division of one of the largest PR firms in the world — which specializes in “grassroots organization”, “issues management” and “crisis communications” — Ayandele:

served as the Director of Cures Now, a Los Angeles based non-profit organization leveraging a coalition of actors, directors, producers, musicians, and writers to promote the rapid, responsible and ethical advancement of science-related social issues, such as stem-cell research and diabetes awareness.

It seems Mr. Ayandele’s expertise is in “leveraging” the entertainment industry to “promote” health care related issues. A skill which would have been useful should, say, the White House or another interested third party wish to get NEA grant recipients to push President Obama’s health care agenda.

(more…)

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Tags: Bim Ayandele, Cures Now, nea, Rock the Vote, White House Office of Public Engagement
Posted Sep 25th 2009 at 6:28 am in Media Criticism, Politics | 235470No Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/rshackleford/2009/09/25/pioneer-of-guerrilla-marketing-specialist-in-leveraging-arts-community-for-health-care-issues-coincidentally-in-on-nea-conference-call/%27Pioneer+of+Guerrilla+Marketing%2C%27+Specialist+in+%27Leveraging%27+Arts+Community+for+Health+Care+Issues+Coincidentally+in+on+NEA+Conference+Call2009-09-25+13%3A28%3A39Rusty+Shackleford

New White House ‘Guidelines’ Are Pathetic Revisionist History

In the aftermath of the revelations that the NEA sponsored a conference call with artists across the country in order to promote President Obama’s political agenda, the NEA and White House are running scared. Yesterday, Yosi Sargent, the NEA Director of Communications who headed the call, resigned. Also yesterday, the White House Counsel’s Office released what it called a “memorandum” designed to create “guidelines regarding our vitally important outreach efforts.”

Ready? Here we go.

WH_COUNSEL_MEMO_GUIDELINES_FOR_PUBLIC_OUTREACH_MEETINGS

First, the White House suggests that all NEA employees “avoid even the appearance of impropriety.” According to the White House, “President Obama has pledged to restore Americans’ trust in their government. Strict adherence to the rules is not enough – we need to avoid even the appearance of politicization in order to ensure people’s faith in the actions of the Administration. This means always asking whether an action under consideration could be construed as inappropriate.” Good advice, to be sure. But this would be too little too late – and it also conflicts with the facts. The clear implication here is that no laws were violated. (more…)

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Tags: Guidelines, nea, Obama, Skolnik, White House
Posted Sep 25th 2009 at 5:06 am in Art, Featured Story, Politics | 23532248 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/bshapiro/2009/09/25/new-white-house-guidelines-are-pathetic-revisionist-history/New+White+House+%27Guidelines%27+Are+Pathetic+Revisionist+History2009-09-25+12%3A06%3A57Ben+Shapiro

Fox News: Months Prior to NEA Conf. Call White House Met With 60 Artists ‘to promote the administration’s agenda’

On Monday the 21st, Big Hollywood reported on a May 12 meeting of 60 artists with the NEA and the White House to help “promote the administration’s agenda” — the one where The Department of Alternative Thinking was proposed…

Today, the Washington Times compiled a long list of the invited artists who are grant recipients, and…

Fox News followed up with this report:

“Rappers, dancers, writers and other activists from around the country were invited to a May 12 session next door to the White House where they were “challenged to come up with promising and attractive ideas about how artists can work to promote the administration’s agenda.” (more…)

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Tags: Art, artists, Department of Alternative Thinking, Fox News, May 12
Posted Sep 24th 2009 at 5:47 pm in Art, Politics | 23527859 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/bighollywood/2009/09/24/fox-news-months-prior-to-nea-conf-call-white-house-met-with-60-artists-to-promote-the-administrations-agenda/Fox+News%3A+Months+Prior+to+NEA+Conf.+Call+White+House+Met+With+60+Artists+%27to+promote+the+administration%27s+agenda%272009-09-25+00%3A47%3A05Big+Hollywood