Past, present NEA chairs discuss arts policy in government

This past Thursday evening, four of the past chairs and the current chair of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) gathered at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the organization. Bill Ivey, the current chairman, Jane Alexander, John Frohnmayer, Frank Hodsoll, and Livingston Biddle all partook in a discussion entitled America's Creative Legacy: An NEA Forum at Harvard. The panel was moderated by Frank Rich, a columnist for the New York Times and former the chief drama critic for the newspaper. Jesse Norman, the internationally renowned opera singer, opened the forum with a brief musical performance for which she received a standing ovation. The five discussed the state of arts in America and what role the organization should play in the future of arts policy in government.