Thursday, January 08, 2009

Obama and Performance

Apparently Barack Obama has a similar view to mine on what could be developed in the [art] world. He has just created a new post of Chief Performance Officer. From what the papers say, Nancy Killefer, who was assigned this function, will have, among others, the task of helping "set performance standards". The expectations run high, although we have to be prepared for the standard performative desillusion when it comes to watching them do it for real, onstage.

6 comments:

Me said...

This position is not related to performance art.

Her job is to make sure social programs and the like perform efficiently and to flag those programs that do not.

chook said...

We were lucky in New Zealand that our Prime Minister for nine years Helen Clark was also Arts Minister. Extra funding came out of it which frustratingly didn't filter down through adminstration much to reach the artist but more importantly it gave the arts credibility and I'm proud of the amount of interest in the arts in this country compared to others

Anonymous said...

Interesting, I look forward to you visiting my website to discuss upcoming exhibitions.

www.jmackenzie.org.uk

Anonymous said...

Maybe you were thinking about the Secretary of Arts postion that so many people wanted. Personally I think a position like that would be dangerous for the US. That is why it has never happened. We don't need someone with that much power telling museums and galleries that receive government funding what they can and can't exhibit. That would happen in the form of funding being reduced or increased based on the whims of the person serving a position such as that.

vvoi said...

Myartspace Blog, I was actually thinking, that is, dreaming, of a Chief Performance Officer, as a person in charge of everything performative... ;)
Secretary of Arts? All I know is Chief sounds better than Secretary, and Chief Performance Officer, in the context of contemporary art, sounds just delicious. Doesn't it? ;)

Anonymous said...

"...next conversation I have with President Obama is to beg for a Secretary of Arts." - Quincy Jones

Apparently there are a lot of people hoping for a Secretary of the Arts position in the government. Many other countries have government positions in art. @chook I think that a position like this would give arts more credibility in the US as it has in New Zealand.

You can sign the petition here:
http://www.petitiononline.com/esnyc/petition.html

www.nonsensesociety.com

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