From Arts Wire Current
February 19, 2001
http://www/artswire.org/current.html


BUSH NOMINATIONS FOR THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON THE ARTS SEND MIXED
MESSAGES ABOUT THE PRESIDENT'S SUPPORT OF DIVERSE ART FORMS

WASHINGTON, DC - President Bush has released his nominations for
the National Council on the Arts, the advisory body of the
National Endowment for the Arts. (NEA) The President has
nominated Scottsdale businessman Don V. Cogman; Cincinnati arts
patron Katharine Cramer DeWitt; Connecticut-based art critic David
Gelernter; Austin educator Teresa Lozano Long; Los Angeles-area
designer Maribeth Walton McGinley; and Dallas art collector Deedie
Potter Rose.

However, the nominations to serve on this Council, which oversees
the selection of grants for all American artists, send mixed
messages about the President's support of diverse art forms and of
the Arts Endowment itself.

The Council was established through the National Arts and
Cultural Development Act of 1964. Its first members were appointed
by President Lyndon Johnson and included noted artists such as
Marian Anderson, Leonard Bernstein, Agnes de Mille, Richard
Diebenkorn, Duke Ellington, Helen Hayes, Charleston Heston, Harper
Lee, Gregory Peck, Sidney Poitier, Richard Rogers, Rosalind
Russell, David Smith, John Steinbeck, and Isaac Stern.

According to the Arts Endowment, the Presidential appointments, by
law, are selected for their widely recognized knowledge of the
arts or their expertise or profound interest in the arts. They
have records of distinguished service or achieved eminence in the
arts and are appointed so as to represent equitably all
geographical areas of the country.

Some of Bush's nominees have distinguished records of service to
the arts. Joe and Teresa Lozano Long, for instance, recently
donated $10 million as a permanent endowment for research,
scholarships and other educational endeavors at the Institute of
Latin American Studies at The University of Texas at Austin. The
institute owns a significant Latin American art collection
representing more than 200 contemporary artists. Teresa Lozano
Long also serves on the boards of Ballet Austin and the Texas
Committee for the National Museum of Women in the Arts.

However, Maribeth McGinley has fundraising ties to the Heritage
Foundation, an organization whose agenda includes the elimination
of the NEA.

Additionally, the appearance of promoting intolerance which
permeates the language in David Gelernter's writings is
inappropriate for an environment of non-profit arts values and for
a body which represents national arts policy -- particularly
because Gelernter is the only non-commercial artist whom the
President nominated.

David Gelernter, a professor of computer science at Yale
University, as well as a painter and writer, is also an art critic
for the Conservative THE WEEKLY STANDARD and the former culture
columnist for THE NEW YORK POST. Gelernter, who lost part of his
right hand and suffered eyesight and hearing loss when he opened
a package from the Unabomber, is the author of MIRROR WORLDS, THE
MUSE IN THE MACHINE: COMPUTERIZING THE POETRY OF HUMAN THOUGHT. In
2001, the Yale Slifka Center hosted an exhibition of his
paintings.

Although Gelernter is, of course, entitled to express his views
-- and has done so in many national publications -- his backward-
looking ideas about the role of women in contemporary society and
his judgmental approach to homosexuality make him a problematical
choice to advise on and judge the work of women artists, gay and
lesbian artists, and all artists and arts organizations who
support a diverse view of society.

For instance in an interview with the YALE FREE PRESS, Gelernter
wrote:

"When a woman would stay home and rear her children, she could
count on society rallying to her defense instead of piling up on
her and telling her what a jerk she was. Society would protect a
mother who felt drawn to rear her children. Feminism has exposed
women to the predatory forces of society, and of men. It has been
the greatest crime against women in the history of women."

In the same interview, he said about date rape: "But there's
something here of women asking that the protection afforded them
in the past by society be put back, which they used to be able to
rely on. A woman used to be able to count on the fact that if she
told her boyfriend that she didn't want to sleep with him, society
would rally to her side, to defend her virtue. Society gave up
defending the virtue of women 20 years ago. And it's been great
for men. Obviously I'm not complaining."

And in 1998, in an article "Gay Rights and Wrongs" published by
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, although he professed to take a middle-
ground on gay rights, Gelernter wrote that "The cultural elite
decided a generation ago that 'homosexual' designates a persecuted
group to be rescued from bigotry, like 'black' or 'woman.' They
assumed that their campaign would succeed just as the previous
ones had. But asking a traditional Jew or Christian not to
'discriminate against' a practicing homosexual is like asking him
to venerate idols. Judaism and Christianity hold that homosexual
behavior is an abomination...... Of course, every Jew and
Christian must have compassion for sinners and  never forget his
own sins. But compassion for sinners doesn't mean relabeling them
'nonsinners.'"

On a "Speaking out against feminism" website, Gelernter is quoted
as saying: "The axioms of modern feminism are insulting to the
very people I have the greatest duty and desire to defend,
and it should be obvious to anyone, whether he likes my position
or hates it, that it would be gutless and contemptible of me not
to fight modern feminism tooth and nail, as hard as I can,
however little I may accomplish. And I teach my boys to do the
same."

The other artist appointed by the President, creative designer,
art director and independent businesswoman Maribeth Walton
McGinley has fundraising ties to the Heritage Foundation. Because
the Heritage Foundation's agenda includes elimination of the NEA,
she is a questionable choice for an NEA advisory body.

As of 1998, according to the Heritage Foundation website, Maribeth
McGinley -- daughter of Frank Walton, former President of the
Heritage Foundation -- was a member of the Heritage Foundation's
President's Club Executive Committee.

She has also supported the Art Center College of Design through
its Inner Circle, which has a mission of "educating the finest
artists and designers through providing financial support,
engaging with Art Center's President and faculty, and building
bridges with alumni and friends."

However, in publications, such as TEN GOOD REASONS TO ELIMINATE
FUNDING FOR THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS, the Heritage
Foundation has consistently advocated eliminating the Arts
Endowment. The President's Club's membership is for donors who
have given $1,000 or more to the Heritage Foundation.

Maribeth Walton McGinley, Glendale, California, is a graduate of
the Art Center College of Design. She designed the Alumni
Veterans' Memorial at Pepperdine University and was awarded two
Gold Records for art direction for the films, RETURN OF THE JEDI
and E.T. She is the president and owner of M. Walton McGinley
Design, a firm which develops merchandise for the Disney Store,
Walt Disney Art Classics, Mattel Toys and others. Formerly she was
an art instructor for Kidspace, a participatory museum, where she
developed and implemented a hands-on art program for third grade
students in Pasadena Unified School District.

Bush's other nominations are:

Don V. Cogman (Scottsdale, Ariz. & New Canaan, Conn) is
Chairman of CC Investments. Formerly he served as President and
COO of marketing communications firm Burson-Marsteller, as well as
Executive Vice-President of its parent company, Young & Rubicam.
He is a former Chief of Staff to the late conservative Senator
Dewey F. Bartlett. (R-OK) Cogman also served as Vice-President of
Government and Public Affairs for MAPCO Inc, a major energy
company, headquartered in Tulsa.  According to the NEA,  Don
Cogman is a member of the Board of Directors and Executive
Committee of The Acting Company in New York. No other arts
experience is of yet known.

Katharine Cramer DeWitt, Cincinnati, Ohio is an arts patron and
community activist who, for more than two decades, has served as a
docent for the Cincinnati Art Museum. DeWitt has also chaired the
Cincinnati Fine Arts Fund for Individual Gifts and served on the
Fund's Allocation Committee. DeWitt is a graduate of
Manhattanville College of the Sacred Heart where she majored in
art history. In 2001, she was the Co-Chairman of the Presidential
Inaugural Committee.

Teresa Lozano Long is an educator, patron and trustee whose
family foundation supports numerous Texas cultural and educational
organizations. Recently the Long Foundation established an
endowment dedicated to benefiting Texas Hispanic youth and
targeting programs with large Hispanic populations, in cooperation
with America's Promise. The foundation also provided substantial
support for the construction of Austin's performing arts center.
Long serves on the boards of Ballet Austin and the Texas Committee
for the National Museum of Women in the Arts.

Deedie Potter Rose, Dallas, Texas, an art collector and patron of
the arts, is the past president of the board of the Dallas Museum
of Art and serves on the boards of numerous nonprofit
organizations including Public Radio International, Channel
13/KERA 90.1, Texas Christian University, Dallas Foundation,
Dallas Theater Center, Dallas Center for the Performing Arts, the
Dallas Institute for the Humanities and Culture and International
Curators Incorporated. Additionally, Rose serves on a number of
advisory boards, including the Dallas Women's Foundation and the
University of Texas School of Architecture.

The nominations will be reviewed by the Senate Committee on
Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA)
is the committee chairman, and Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) is the
ranking Republican member. Once confirmed, the new Council Members
will serve six-year terms.

Additionally, six members of Congress serve on the Council in an
ex officio capacity, including Sens. Mike DeWine, (R-OH) Richard
Durbin, (D-IL) and Jeff Sessions, (R-AL) and Reps. Cass Ballenger,
(R-NC) Betty McCollum, (D-MN) and Howard McKeon. (R-CA)
Congressional members are appointed in the following manner: two
by the Speaker of the House, one by the Minority Leader of the
House, two by the Majority Leader of the Senate, and one by the
Minority Leader of the Senate.

Arts Wire CURRENT welcomes comments and more information about the
nominations  -- from the arts community which the NEA serves.
Please include the kind of art you do and/or
your arts organization affiliation. Send them to
Judy Malloy at [log in to unmask]

Sources/resources:

NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS --
http://www.arts.gov/endownews/news02/Council.html

NATIONAL COUNCIL ON THE ARTS --
http://www.nea.gov/learn/NCA/About_NCA.html

"Philanthropists Joe and Teresa Long give $10 million endowment to
Institute of Latin American Studies at The University of Texas at
Austin" --
http://www.utexas.edu/cola/depts/llilas/news/releases/long.html

Colin Wilder
"Gelernter Unplugged"
THE YALE FREE PRESS --
http://www.yale.edu/yfp/archives/96_5_gelernter.html
May, 1996

David Gelernter
"Gay Rights and Wrongs"
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL -- http://www.wallstreetjournal.com
August 13, 1998

SPEAKING OUT AGAINST FEMINISM....
http://www.lbduk.org/Quotes.htm

THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION -- http://www.heritage.org
Fundraising report --
http://www.heritage.org/annual_report/98/membership.html

ART CENTER COLLEGE OF DESIGN INNER CIRCLE  --
http://
www.artcenter.edu/partners/ind_gifts/honor/indiv/inner_circle.html
____________

Next week Current will be addressing the President's appointments
to the National Council on the Humanities.
The names known so far are:

Amy Apfel Kass, of Illinois
Andrew Ladis, of Georgia
Wright L. Lassiter, Jr., of Texas
James R. Stoner, Jr., of Louisiana

Information or comments about these nominations would also be
appreciated

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