Arts groups gain clout, money under Obama

April 15, 2009 Before President Obama was inaugurated, leaders of 21 arts service organizations sent his transition team a list of recommendations, which included increasing the budget of the National Endowment for the Arts from $155 million to $319 million. The first 100 days of the Obama administration has been a heady time for arts advocacy groups such as Americans for the Arts, the Association of Performing Arts Presenters and Theatre Communications Group. The administration has also placed a greater emphasis on the arts by hiring two aides, Kareem Dale and actor Kal Penn, to work on policy and outreach.

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