President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities
Encyclopedia
The President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH) was established in Washington, DC in 1982 by an Executive Order from President Ronald Reagan and works with each Administration to incorporate the arts and the humanities into White House objectives.
Michelle Obama currently serves as the Honorary Chairwoman; Rachel Goslins
is Executive Director.
; the National Endowment for the Humanities
; the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences; the Departments of Education
, Interior, and State; the National Gallery of Art
; the Smithsonian Institution
; the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
; and the Library of Congress
. The President also appoints a Chairman or Co-Chairmen from among the private members.
Co-Chairmen: George Stevens, Jr.
and Margo Lion
;
Vice Chairman: Mary Schmidt Campbell
;
Executive Director: Rachel Goslins
The PCAH has its offices at the Old Post Office building on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC.
Michelle Obama currently serves as the Honorary Chairwoman; Rachel Goslins
Rachel Goslins
Rachel Goslins currently is Executive Director of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities, an advisory committee to the White House on cultural policy. President Obama appointed her to this position in 2009....
is Executive Director.
Members
The members of the Committee are 26-30 Presidentially-appointed private citizens as well as the heads of federal agencies with cultural programs: the National Endowment for the ArtsNational Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
; the National Endowment for the Humanities
National Endowment for the Humanities
The National Endowment for the Humanities is an independent federal agency of the United States established by the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965 dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities. The NEH is located at...
; the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences; the Departments of Education
United States Department of Education
The United States Department of Education, also referred to as ED or the ED for Education Department, is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government...
, Interior, and State; the National Gallery of Art
National Gallery of Art
The National Gallery of Art and its Sculpture Garden is a national art museum, located on the National Mall between 3rd and 9th Streets at Constitution Avenue NW, in Washington, DC...
; the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
; the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is a performing arts center located on the Potomac River, adjacent to the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C...
; and the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
. The President also appoints a Chairman or Co-Chairmen from among the private members.
Co-Chairmen: George Stevens, Jr.
George Stevens, Jr.
George Cooper Stevens, Jr. is an American award-winning film and television writer, director, producer, and founder of the American Film Institute...
and Margo Lion
Margo Lion
Margo Lion is a producer for plays and musicals both on Broadway and off-Broadway. She is known for her role in producing the stage and screen hit Hairspray. Combined, the works Lion produced have won 20 Tony Awards and a Pulitzer Prize.-Biography:...
;
Vice Chairman: Mary Schmidt Campbell
Mary Schmidt Campbell
Mary Schmidt Campbell, B.A., M.A., PH.D.; HON.: D.F.A., PH.D., Dean, Tisch School of the Arts; Associate Provost for the ArtsMary Schmidt Campbell was appointed Dean of the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University in 1991 and Associate Provost for the Arts in December 2004.Campbell is also...
;
Executive Director: Rachel Goslins
Rachel Goslins
Rachel Goslins currently is Executive Director of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities, an advisory committee to the White House on cultural policy. President Obama appointed her to this position in 2009....
Background
Because of its unique membership, the PCAH is able to bridge the federal agencies and the private sector. It recognizes cultural excellence, engages in research and recognition programs; initiates special projects, and stimulates private funding. Its primary federal cultural partners are the NEA, NEH, and IMLS. In recent years, its primary foci have been youth arts and humanities learning; expanding international cultural relationships, preservation/conservation, and assisting the White House and its federal cultural partners in accomplishing cultural outreach, connecting Americans with each other and the rest of the world.The PCAH has its offices at the Old Post Office building on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC.
Coming Up Taller (CUT)
Now in its 12th year, Coming Up Taller is a PCAH program, in partnership with NEA, NEH, IMLS, and the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA), which honors and supports exemplary after-school and out-of-school (OST) arts and humanities programs for at-risk youth. In 2008, for example, 15 U.S. programs were honored along with two programs from Mexico, one program from China, and one from Egypt.AFI Project:20/20
Now in its third year, this PCAH program, in collaboration with the American Film Institute (AFI), NEA, NEH, IMLS, and founding partner U.S. Department of State (2006-2008), enhances exchange, understanding, and outreach through filmmakers and their films from the U.S. and abroad. Launched each year at the Los Angeles Film Festival AFIFEST, the program invites outstanding independent films and filmmakers of diverse artistic approaches, cultural traditions, and philosophical views that reveal both a respect for differences and a shared humanity among cultures. Following the festival, pairs of filmmakers share their films in screenings and residencies in venues in the U.S. and abroad.Save America's Treasures
Established by Executive Order in 1998, Save America's Treasures is now a federal public-private partnership that includes the PCAH, NEA, NEH, IMLS, the National Park Service (NPS) and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The PCAH and the National Park Service jointly oversee the management of the federal competitive matching grant component, which helps preserve, conserve, and rescue our nation's most significant cultural and heritage resources, including historic structures, collections of artifacts, works of art, maps, manuscripts, and sound recordings.Special Initiatives
- Led first U.S. Federal cultural delegation to the People's Republic of China (June 2007), which led to a number of rich cultural and scholarly collaborations among the cultural agencies and the Ministry of Culture in China;
- Led historic meetings in Sante Fe, NM, (2003) and El Paso/Ciudad Juarez (2007) with federal cultural leaders and counterparts from Mexico's National Council on Culture and the Arts (CONACULTA);
- Support annual Presidentially-selected National Humanities Medalists and National Medal of Arts presentations at White House ceremonies.
Former Honorary Chairwomen
- Laura BushLaura BushLaura Lane Welch Bush is the wife of the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush. She was the First Lady of the United States from January 20, 2001, to January 20, 2009. She has held a love of books and reading since childhood and her life and education have reflected that interest...
- Hillary Rodham ClintonHillary Rodham ClintonHillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the...
- Barbara BushBarbara BushBarbara Pierce Bush is the wife of the 41st President of the United States George H. W. Bush, and served as First Lady of the United States from 1989 to 1993. She is the mother of the 43rd President George W. Bush and of the 43rd Governor of Florida Jeb Bush...
- Nancy ReaganNancy ReaganNancy Davis Reagan is the widow of former United States President Ronald Reagan and was First Lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989....
Former Committee Chairpeople
- Adair Margo, appointed by President George W. BushGeorge W. BushGeorge Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
- Dr. John BrademasJohn BrademasJohn Brademas is an American politician and educator originally from Indiana. He served as Majority Whip of the United States House of Representatives for the Democratic Party from 1977 to 1981 at the conclusion of a twenty-year career as a member of the United States House of Representatives...
, President Emeritus of New York University appointed by President Bill ClintonBill ClintonWilliam Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation... - Donald J. Hall, Chairman of Hallmark Cards, Inc.Hallmark CardsHallmark Cards is a privately owned American company based in Kansas City, Missouri. Founded in 1910 by Joyce C. Hall, Hallmark is the largest manufacturer of greeting cards in the United States. In 1985, the company was awarded the National Medal of Arts....
appointed by President George H. W. BushGeorge H. W. BushGeorge Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to... - Andrew HeiskellAndrew HeiskellAndrew Heiskell was chairman and CEO of Time Inc. , and also known for his philanthropy, including for the New York Public Library...
, former Chairman and CEO of Time, Inc. appointed by President Ronald ReaganRonald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
Former Executive Directors
- Daniel (Henry) Moran
- Bunny Burson
- Harriet Fulbright
- Ellen McCulloch Lovell
- Diane Patton
External links
- President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities official government website
- National Endowment for the Humanities official government website
- National Endowment for the Arts official government website
- Institute of Museum and Library Services official government website
- Save America's Treasures
- Coming Up Taller
- AFI Project:20/20