"An Evening of Poetry at the White House May 11

From a press release:

The President and Mrs. Obama will host a celebration of American poetry and prose by welcoming accomplished poets, musicians and artists as well as students from across the country to the White House next week. Participants include Elizabeth Alexander, Billy Collins, Common, Rita Dove, Kenneth Goldsmith, Alison Knowles, Aimee Mann and Jill Scott who will read, sing, and showcase the impact of poetry on American culture. The President will make opening remarks at this event held in the East Room, which will be pooled press and streamed live on www.whitehouse.gov starting at 7:00 p.m. ET.

  

As part of this special event, Mrs. Obama will host a daytime workshop for hundreds of students from California to New York on May 11th at 2:00 p.m. ET, where students will work with and learn from many of the evening’s performers.  First Lady Michelle Obama and administration officials will deliver brief remarks to highlight a new study detailing the importance of arts education. This event will be streamed live on www.whitehouse.gov and students all over the country will be invited to watch the workshop. This event is open press but space is very limited so please RSVP to firstladypress@who.eop.gov.

First Lady Michelle Obama kicked off the White House Music Series in 2009 with a Jazz Studio, and since then has hosted a celebration of Country Music, Classical Music, Motown, a Fiesta Latina, a salute to Broadway, Music of the Civil Rights Movement and a dance tribute to Judith Jamison. Many of these events included evening performances as well as daytime educational workshops designed to educate and inspire talented young people to use their gifts to develop a future for themselves in the arts community whether as a hobby or as a profession.

Teddy Roosevelt revisited

Teddy Roosevelt came by for a short visit at the office this morning. He was on his way down to the Historic Plains Hotel for the kick-off of their 100th anniversary.

Medal of Arts winner: Dance has made "an important contribution to our world"

Jacob's Pillow Director Ella Baff receives National Medal of Arts from Pres. Barack Obama

Ella Baff, executive and artistic director of Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival in Becket, Mass., accepted a National Medal of Arts at the White House on behalf of her organization. Among the ten arts-world awardees, including Van Cliburn, Meryl Streep, Sonny Rollins, Quincy Jones and James Taylor among others, Jacob's Pillow was the sole organization to be honored. It's the only dance presenter to garner the medal since the awards were first handed out in 1984.

Here is what Ms. Baff said (as quoted by Debra Levine March 4 on the artsmeme blog at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/debra-levine/post_1787_b_830561.html:

"Less is known about dance than the other art forms, and there are many reasons why. I hope this visibility will carry meaning beyond the day, and that people will become more aware about dance," she added. "It's a real profession, and it's made an important contribution to our world."

Michelle Obama and the arts

Two articles from the Washington Post about Michelle Obama's support of the arts.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/20/AR2010102005387.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/13/AR2010101305185.html?waporef=obinsite

Join today's conversation with The President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities

Today's Tuesday Talk from the White House features The President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities.

On the White House blog, Kori Schulman has the following info:

Join us for two talks on Tuesday, October 19:

•1:30 p.m. EDT: Talk with Austan Goolsbee, Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, on the economy.

•2:15 p.m. EDT: In celebration of National Arts and Humanities Month, talk about the arts and arts and humanities education with co-chairs and members of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities (PCAH), including:

Chuck Close, Member and visual artist
Margo Lion, Co-Chair
George Stevens, Jr., Co-Chair
Damian Woetzel, Member and ballet dancer

Here's how you can participate:

•Ask your questions in advance on Facebook
•Watch the chat through www.WhiteHouse.gov/live
•Join the discussion live through the White House Facebook application

Link up by going to http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/10/15/two-tuesday-talks-austan-goolsbee-economy-president-s-committee-arts-and-humanities

Work by Wilson glass artist Laurie Thal given as White House gift

Wilson glassblower/glass artist and two-time Wyoming Arts Council visual arts fellowship winner Laurie Thal has a friend at the White House. Laurie was exhibiting her work last November at the Washington, D.C., craft show when the State Department's Tracy Bernstein stopped to admire the work. She asked if Laurie had something with a peacock on it and Laurie pulled from a box the piece shown above. The peacock was designed by Laurie's partner, Lia Kass. The State Department's Senior Gift Officer Liza Ballantine saw the bowl and bought it. President and Mrs. Obama gave the bowl as a gift to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his wife during their Nov. 24 White House visit. In 1997, Laurie also made a glass ornament for the White House Christmas Tree for Bill and Hillary Clinton. Several of her pieces are on display at the Wyoming Governor's Residence in Cheyenne. FMI: http://www.thalglass.com/