Forum: Rocco Landesman Will Answer Your Comments and Questions

ARTS -- January 15, 2010 at 3:53 PM EDT

Forum: Rocco Landesman Will Answer Your Comments and Questions

I recently had the chance to talk with new NEA chairman Rocco Landesman for an interview we aired earlier this month. Landesman was an interesting choice for the position, coming from the commercial world of Broadway, and he immediately got attention for some blunt statements.

In our interview, among many other topics, he talked of using his position as a "great bully pulpit" and, while saying he didn't want to "sound terribly partisan," criticized the No Child Left Behind initiative for its impact on arts in the schools. Landesman is currently traveling around the country, looking into the artistic and cultural life that's out there, and developing his own initiatives.

With so much interest in the NEA -- both positive and critical -- and now in Landesman himself, I asked him to participate in an online viewer forum and he's agreed.

We'd love for you to join in the conversation now. Send us your questions and comments. We'll compile and put them to Mr. Landesman next week.

You can leave comments and questions here or on Art Beat, on Flickr @NewsHourArtBeat, or by emailing us at artbeat@newshour.org.

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