Michelle Obama touts arts at G-20

[jefferson_dem]

Michelle Obama touts arts at G-20

PITTSBURGH — First Lady Michelle Obama called the arts “a form of diplomacy in which we can all take part” during her appearance with fellow first ladies at a high school here, where Obama touted her commitment to the creative arts.



Joined by 20 other spouses from around the world for the G-20 summit, Obama toured the Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts School, and praised the students for their talents.

“As my good friend, Carla Sarkozy, said… in America….here you have people who can sing, and they can dance, and they can act. Now, she said in France it's not often that you get all of those wrapped in one,” she said, quoting the first lady of France.

“But she said there's something unique about America's talents where it's just so natural to see all of that talent on display. So you all should be so very proud.”

A group of spouses dropped in on classrooms for about 20 minutes and gathered for a “family photo” at the school, which is one of the city’s top high schools.

For Obama, it was her first turn at being host spouse and she packed her two day schedule with an intimate dinner at Teresa Heinz Kerry’s farm last night, a school visit Friday, and later a behind the scenes tour of the Andy Warhol Museum.

She said the arts were high on the administration’s agenda.

“I wanted to come here because this school embodies the belief that President Obama and I share — and that is the arts aren't just a nice thing to do if you have a little time, right? It's not just a hobby, although it can be a very good hobby. It shouldn't be something you do just because you can afford it,” she said as a group of students sat in the school’s auditorium. “We believe strongly that the arts aren't somehow an ‘extra’ part of our national life, but instead we feel that the arts are at the heart of our national life.”

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http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0909/27593.html#ixzz0S9JeezcR

[polichick]

1. "we feel that the arts are at the heart of our national life." Amen! k&r

[SIMPLYB1980]

2. Clearly a corporatist plot.

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[downeyr]

3. I love Michelle! nt

[Bluenorthwest]

4. Error: You've already recommended that thread

The Arts are a road map and a love letter.....

[cliffordu]

5. I misread your title - I thought it said "Michelle Obama outs tarts....."

[PopSixSquish]

6. You Just Ain't Right - LOL

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[Cha]

7. So encouraging and inspiring..

"I wanted to come here because this school embodies the belief that President Obama and I share — and that is the arts aren't just a nice thing to do if you have a little time, right? It's not just a hobby, although it can be a very good hobby. It shouldn't be something you do just because you can afford it,” she said as a group of students sat in the school’s auditorium. “We believe strongly that the arts aren't somehow an ‘extra’ part of our national life, but instead we feel that the arts are at the heart of our national life.”

[Withywindle]

8. True, and important!

Chicago has a truly great World Music Festival every year. It ranks right up there with our Jazz Festival and Blues Festival, which are world famous and rightly so.

One of the biggest issues this festival has faced in the past? You guessed it. Visa-related/customs-related bullshit. The Middle East and Central Asia have, very possibly, the most beautiful music in the world. You can imagine the racist profiling issues involved with getting these artists here to actually play the concerts they happily agreed to. It's a global issue: there is also discrimination against Japanese counterculturalists, African tribal peoples and Muslims, Brazilians (who responded to Shrub's paranoid xenophobia by counter-insisting that American visitors ALSO get fingerprinted), Chinese, Indians (who are suspected of wanting to "defect," as if there's still an Iron Curtain...), various Latinos, who are always mistaken for "illegals" no matter how many awards they've won for their music...

I don't think any of this was accidental. Michelle is absolutely right to make the point that the arts are the best ways humanity's ever devised for people to communicate with each other, learn from each other, and recognize each other's common humanity across geographical and language barriers. The last administration had a vested interest AGAINST that. Obama's interest in and sincere respect for other cultures is one of the main reasons I'm proud he's my President. Let's make that respect concrete.

[Deja Q]

9. Mrs. Obama,

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