All the president’s men

National Endowment for the Arts takes propaganda to a new level | Janie B. Cheaney

Illustration by Krieg Barrie

When President Obama announced his intention to speak to schoolchildren, reaction was swift: Should we be worried that the kids are going to come home and demand their parents support the president's healthcare plan? Not so much, apparently, but a more subversive effort at influence was going forward at the same time.

In late August, a report surfaced on the "Big Hollywood" website, a gathering of conservatives in entertainment and the arts. Patrick Courrielche, an entrepreneur and consultant, had received an email from Yosi Sergant, Director of communications for the National Endowment for the Arts. It was an invitation to a conference call of movers and shakers in the creative community, scheduled for Aug. 10, to be hosted by the NEA, the White House Office of Public Engagement, and United We Serve. The purpose was finding ways to "work together to promote a more civically engaged America and celebrate how the arts can be used for a positive change!"