NEA chairman explains communications director's demotion

"Loose lips sink ships" was a watchword in the U.S. Navy during World War II. In today's culture wars, what got scuttled was a former Los Angeles publicist's brief tenure as communications director of the National Endowment for the Arts, although he remains on the federal arts-grant agency's communications staff.

Rocco Landesman, the new NEA chairman, issued a written explanation today "to clarify the issues" surrounding an Aug. 10 conference call in which Yosi Sergant, representing the NEA, invited representatives from the arts world to get involved in President Obama's United We Serve volunteerism initiative. The teleconference got blogged about as an attempt to enlist artists on behalf of the White House's agenda, prompting Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) to issue an open letter to the president expressing alarm over the politicization of the NEA, and suggesting that "this episode appears to merit congressional hearings and sustained oversight."

Landesman's statement reiterated the NEA's previous response that the purpose of the teleconference was supposed to be to inform the arts community of opportunities to take part in volunteerism programs, and "not a means to promote any legislative agenda."

Sergant entered government service at the NEA after having helped instigate and promote Shepard Fairey's "Obama Hope" poster campaign during Obama's election drive last year. According to Landesman, Sergant took part in the teleconference without authorization from his then-boss, Patrice Walker Powell, who was in charge as the NEA's acting chairman through Aug. 10. Landesman, a noted Broadway producer, said he became chairman on Aug. 11, the day after the teleconference.

"Some of the language used by [Sergant] was, unfortunately, not appropriate and did not reflect the

position of the NEA," Landesman said. "This employee has been relieved of his duties as director of communications."

Asked to elaborate, an NEA spokeswoman sent this excerpt from the teleconference, spoken by Sergant, as the passage that Landesman considered inappropriate:  “I would encourage you to pick something, whether it’s health care, education, the environment. There’s four key areas that the corporation [the Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency that supports volunteerism] has identified as areas of service. Then my ask would be to apply your artistic, creative community utilities. Bring them to the table.”

Sharing information about opportunities for artists is part of what the NEA does, the spokeswoman said, without elaborating further. Apparently, it was Sergant's decision to "encourage" and "ask" his audience to act that got him in hot water with his boss.

-- Mike Boehm

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Rocco Landesman, from the Great White Way to the White House

Photo: Rocco Landesman   Credit: Michael Eastman

Comments

[Colascguy]

All I can say is do some research look at what is being reported or better yet what the main stream media is not reporting about ACORN. The NEA is just another thread in a very tangled web.

[yarrrrr]

"Some of the language used by [Sergant] was, unfortunately, not appropriate and did not reflect the position of the NEA"

Um, what about the inappropriate language by Buffy Wicks?

[Michael McCall]

Texas can fall off the end of the earth for all I care. I have good friends down there, but the politics are abysmal. Republicans, leave the NEA alone, let them do the job they need to do, and that is to help support artists and arts organizations.
They have no need for art, the repubs, or for anything for that matter..., other than stealing everything away from everyone but their friends. Thanks Ken Lay, the Bushies, and the rest of those cowpokes.... they stole it all. They know no culture.

[Fredric Williams]

The top positions in all government agencies are political appointments -- often given to political cronies, relatives, contributors, and their friends. When these hacks continue to push a president's political agenda, that is exactly what should be expected. This guy just got too noticeable.

As long as our government is run by a spoils system, we will have incompetent people at the top.

[looneywatcher]

As long as NEA and other public-funded organizations are spending my taxpayer dollars, we are going to watch you and breathe down your neck until you squirm...When you are then politics-neutral, then maybe you can get back to concentrating on the arts.

[Emi Burke]

Apparently, it was Sergant's decision to "encourage" and "ask" his audience to act that got him in hot water with his boss.

What a crock! It was that the artists were asked to support the president's initiatives and to "push the president and push his administration" that got him into trouble. Read the conference call transcript.

And Mike Boehm is a journalist???

[John W]

Thanks Michael for that piece of performance art. Very convincing. Paint all of Texas Red with Ken Lay and "Bushies". Not one Texas republican has a mind of their own. And we do so much appreciate the brilliant work supported by the NEA. Whatever would we do without it? Perhaps they could commission a piece about Obama and Acorn; nuts not falling far from the tree. See, anyone can use the tactic you wielded. Some of us even recognize it as such.

[JupiterSuite]

NEA: Policing Thought Crime

Yosi Sergent:

“Attach whatever you’re doing to this initiative. Let’s raise the visibility for the Presidents call”

“We are just now learning how to really bring this community together to speak with the government.”

George Will: “Wrong preposition. Not ‘with’ the government, but FOR the government.” http://www.graffiti.org/faq/kataras/kataras_fig3Fairey.jpg

[Felix]

The Times is a little late in covering this story.

Whoops, I forgot. You don't cover anything negative about the people in power until they have done damage control and formulated their official response.

Just like Pravda.

[Kent]

To loonywatcher and others critical of the NEA:

For John Boehner to say we shouldn't politicize the NEA and to call for government inquiries is politicizing the NEA. It's an oxymoron and hypocritical. Right now the republicans, in re-starting the culture wars against the NEA are politicizing the NEA because, well hey - it worked in the 90's as our wedge issue right? And loonywatcher - are you breathing down Haliburton's neck, Blackwater's neck, or only taxpayer $'s advocated by democrats?

[Mike Boehm]

Mike Boehm here. In response to Emi Burke's comment: According to the teleconference transcript posted by Patrick Courrielche, it was not the NEA’s Yosi Sergant, but Michael Skolnik, who is a private citizen, not a government employee (he is political director for hip-hop record executive Russell Simmons) who hosted the teleconference and made the comment about wanting to “push the president and push his administration.” Interestingly, from the context, it appears that Skolnik may not intend “push the president” in the sense of “promote the president,” but “push” as in "pressuring" the president and his administration to do things they might not necessarily want to do. The full quote, as attributed to Skolnik in the transcript: “The goal of this phone call is through this group we can create a stronger community to get involved in things that we’re passionate about as we did during the campaign...to support some of the president’s initiatives, but also to push the president and to push his administration.”

[joe]

This is a case of getting caught with his hand in the cookie jar...the more he pretends they are innocent the worse it looks..Just tell the truth you were caught worshipping Obama and using the peoples hard earned money ...Funny thing is... these are the people that began worshipping Obama just because he wasnt Bush. They cried when Obama was elected and yet they knew very little about him. Sounds like an emotional mess...You wouldnt hire someone into your company just because they arent the last employee you couldnt stand..and then proceed to cry over the new guy..Its just a weird thing to do. Wake up and see what is really their L.A time ..start asking the questions ..track these people down and make them accountable..it is your job.