President Joe Biden announced Lady Gaga and producer Bruce Cohen as co-chairs of the newly revived President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities (PCAH) on March 13.
PCAH is a panel of artists, museum professionals, academics, and philanthropists that functions as the Executive Branch’s advisory board on cultural issues.
Musician Jon Batiste, who played at the December White House state dinner in honor of French President Emmanuel Macron, television producer Shonda Rhimes, Grammy Award winner Joe Walsh, and actors George Clooney, Jennifer Garner, Troy Kotsur, and Kerry Washington are among those also appointed to the committee.
Steve Israel, a Democrat who served as New York’s representative in the House and a former member of Congress, is also on the committee.
The PCAH established in 1982 by Executive Order, advises the president and U.S. cultural agencies on policy matters, philanthropic engagement, and efforts to enhance federal support for arts, humanities, and library services.
The committee comprises private members, including prominent artists and scholars, and public members representing key federal agencies.
It has a stated aim to promote excellence in the arts, humanities, and library services and their relevance to the country’s health, economy, equity, and civic life.
Over the past 40 years, the committee has been involved in arts and humanities education, cultural diplomacy, and the creative economy, according to the White House.
Many of the individuals chosen to serve on PCAH have already worked with Biden on significant topics, such as Lady Gaga’s participation in the “It’s On Us” campaign to combat sexual assault on college campuses.
First Lady Jill Biden held a fundraiser at the home of veteran television producer Marta Kauffman, who was also chosen for the committee, in September.
In August 2017, 16 of the 17 former committee members sent a letter resigning from their positions resulting in the Trump administration’s temporary disbandment of the program.
The group cited concerns with the Trump administration as the reason for their resignations.
Only one member’s name didn’t initially appear in the letter, Broadway director George C. Wolfe. However, he also signaled his decision to resign from the committee.
At the time, the White House said it had already decided against renewing the committee for budgetary reasons.
