President Obama is expected to nominate Rocco Landesman, Broadway producer, to head the National Endowment for the Arts today. Landesman, if approved by Congress, will succeed Dana Gioia as Chairman of the agency. Gioia was known for his diplomacy at a time when the Endowment was still struggling to make its case. With a new administration and an NEA budget at its highest in 15 years, Landesman comes to the Endowment as an entrepreneur who is known for his energy and candor. While Landesman hails from the commercial theater world, he has a history of blurring the traditional boundaries between nonprofit and for-profit arts, "high art" and popular forms, and will no doubt be a powerful force for the arts in the U.S. 

Read The New York Times article on Landesman's nomination

Not since Bill Clinton played saxophone on The Aresenio Hall Show in 1992 have the arts taken such center-stage in an administration. Just last night, the Obamas hosted a poetry jam in the East Room that celebrated American diversity and embraced the ability of the arts to question, enliven, and challenge. From well-known artists like Stevie Wonder, Fergie, and Michael Chabon to emerging writers and musicians, the artists represent an America that makes room for voices from all artistic approaches.

Read The New York Times article on "Jammin' in the East Room"