The National Endowment for the Arts is gathering a group of young artists to advance Obama’s agenda.

They are asking for “a group of artists, producers, promoters, organizers, influencers, marketers, taste-makers, leaders or just plain cool people to join together and work together to promote a more civically engaged America and celebrate how the arts can be used for a positive change!”

From Patrick Courrielch’s article:

We were encouraged to bring the same sense of enthusiasm to these “focus areas” as we had brought to Obama’s presidential campaign, and we were encouraged to create art and art initiatives that brought awareness to these issues. Throughout the conversation, we were reminded of our ability as artists and art professionals to “shape the lives” of those around us. The now famous Obama “Hope” poster, created by artist Shepard Fairey and promoted by many of those on the phone call, and will.i.am’s “Yes We Can” song and music video were presented as shining examples of our group’s clear role in the election.
Obama has a strong arts agenda, we were told, and has been very supportive of both using and supporting the arts in creative ways to talk about the issues facing the country. We were “selected for a reason,” they told us. We had played a key role in the election and now Obama was putting out the call of service to help create change. We knew “how to make a stink,” and were encouraged to do so.

Read–Big Hollywood

The issue is the NEA is creating an Obama Propaganda Machine.

I’ll be following this closely.

Check out the Updates to this post after the jump…

Apparently the White House was involved in the conference call…

It is crumbling, ladies and gentlemen.

UPDATE: September 10, 2009:

Apparently, Kalpen Modi, Associate Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, moderated another conference call.  Now, folks, this is the same Kal Penn who was my favorite character on Fox’s House, and everyone’s favorite Stoner in Harold and Kumar go somewhere…

Big Hollywood, linked to the meeting invitation…it has since been taken down…Click here to see the error message…

Here is the Google Cache of the page…

Here is the text of the invitation:

Americans for the Arts is pleased to be able to extend the following invitation from the White House to all our member local, state, and regional arts agencies, community-based arts organizations, and national partners. Below is a letter from Kalpen Modi, Associate Director for the White House Office of Public Engagement.

Dear White House Partners,

This summer, President Obama and the First Lady unveiled United We Serve, a call to service challenging all Americans to help lay a new foundation for growth in this country by engaging in sustained, meaningful community service this summer and beyond.

Please join us for a United We Serve | Arts conference call, hosted by the Corporation for National and Community Service in cooperation with the White House Office of Public Engagement: Thursday, August 27, 3:00 p.m. (EST).

R.S.V.P.: We will be able to accommodate the first 500 people who go towww.AmericansForTheArts.org/serve/rsvp/index.asp and sign up to join the call.

I’ll be facilitating the call. We’ll also have key representatives from:

• Corporation for National and Community Service
• National Endowment for the Arts
• Americans for the Arts

The purpose of United We Serve–a project of the White House and the Corporation for National and Community Service–is to engage all Americans in the nation’s economic recovery at a time of great challenge and great opportunity. It started on June 22-when the First Lady launched United We Serve at the National Conference on Volunteering and Service–and culminates with September 11, a new National Day of Remembrance and Service. The president and First Lady are challenging people young and old, in communities large and small, to roll up their sleeves and work together to tackle some of the nation’s toughest issues: education; health; energy and the environment; community renewal; and safety and security.

The Administration knows that the arts are and must continue to be actively engaged in strengthening communities across the country. United We Serve seeks to encourage and recognize that work this summer, on September 11, and beyond. Whether you are an individual artist or a professor, a major national network of organizations, or somewhere in between, I hope you will join us on this call as we share the most up-to-date information on the Administration’s plans for United We Serve; offer some ideas for how you can connect with the initiative; and ask you to share ideas with one another for how best to engage the arts community in the President’s call to service. (For example, Americans for the Arts is launching serve.artsusa.org.)

See these two documents, and don’t forget to R.S.V.P. Thanks for your time. I look forward to speaking with you soon.

In service,
Kalpen Modi
Associate Director | White House Office of Public Engagement

Now, folks, Kalpen Modi is the closest thing we have to a Culture Czar…this is scary stuff…

Check out the United We Serve: An Arts Idea Kit pdf here.