President Biden has named actress-singer Lady Gaga, and Oscar-winning producer Bruce Cohen to co-chair his President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, the White House announced Thursday.
The co-chairs will oversee a deep bench of Hollywood icons including Grammy-winning singer Jon Batiste; television creator and best-selling author Shonda Rhimes, and award-winning actor and director George Clooney.
Other actors added to the board include Jennifer Garner, who won a Golden Globe and an Emmy for her role in “Alias,” and Kerry Washington, who also won an Emmy (for her role in a live performance of “Good Times”) and has taken multiple NAACP Image Awards.
The board, established in 1982 under the Reagan administration, serves as the president’s go-to adviser on policy and federal support for the arts and the humanities.
The board will also engage other artists and scholars to promote “excellence in the arts, humanities, and museum and library services and demonstrate their relevance to the country’s health, economy, equity, and civic life,” according to the White House.
The board has traditionally been comprised of the nation’s most talented artists, singers and performers.
Other members of Mr. Biden’s board include Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Joe Walsh, “Friends” creator Marta Kauffman and Academy Award-winning actor Troy Kotsur.
Non-artist members include former Rep. Steve Israel, New York Democrat, and Berkeley City College President Angelica Garcia.
Mr. Biden is resurrecting the board after it disbanded in 2017 under the Trump administration.
• Joseph Clark can be reached at jclark@washingtontimes.com.
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