In the Arts, Briefly section of Saturday’s (3/14) New York Times, Robin Pogrebin reports, “President Barack Obama has established a staff position in the White House to oversee arts and culture in the Office of Public Liaison and Intergovernmental Affairs under Valerie Jarrett, a senior adviser, a White House official confirmed. Kareem Dale, a lawyer who last month was named special assistant to the president for disability policy, will hold the new position. … He also served on the arts policy committee and the disability policy committee for Mr. Obama when he was a senator from Illinois. Bill Ivey, who served as the administration’s transition-team leader for the arts and humanities, said he was encouraged by the appointment and would meet with Mr. Dale next week. ‘It’s a big step forward in terms of connecting cultural and government with mainstream administration policy,’ Mr. Ivey said in an interview on Friday. The White House declined to describe the position in detail, since Mr. Dale’s appointment has yet to be formally announced.”
Posted March 18, 2009
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