Do we need a Culture Czar?

Lee Rosenbaum, who blogs as the Culture Grrl and comments on the culture and arts scene, has posted a message expressing disfavor with the concept of a Federal Government culture czar. Frankly, we agree with her. The government has no business "czar-ing" art and culture. If they can tell us what good art is, they can tell us what bad art is. We fervently believe that judgement is best made by the audience as individuals. Keep the politics out of it.We've captured an opening paragraph Lee's blog. There is a link to continue at the end.I've got nothing against better coordination among government programs involving the arts and humanities. Regular meetings of representatives from the relevant offices and agencies could foment creative synergies. Perhaps a White House official with advisory, not managerial, responsibilities could help facilitate this without inserting what we emphatically DON'T need---an extra layer of bureaucratic control over our nation's cultural activity.Read more

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