Art 101: Prof. Obama------Building: White House------Time: 2008-2012

I had never really thought about the logistics of moving into the White House until I read a "Wall Street Journal" article about the Obama's art collection choices. While most of us have to settle for posters and prints of famous painters, presidents get to hang the real deal. The Obamas, like presidential families before them, send out notices to museums nationwide, saying they would like to borrow pieces by certain artists for the length of the president's term. These pieces will be hung throughout the White House, some in public space, some in private. As per the article, "The president can hang whatever he wants in the residence and offices, including the Oval Office, but art placed in public rooms, such as the Green Room, must first be approved by the White House curator and the Committee for the Preservation of the White House, an advisory board on which the first lady serves as honorary chair."

The Obamas--like it's any surprise--have a more progressive and modern sensibility when it comes to art. Artists requested include Jasper Johns, Robert Raushcenberg, and Edward Ruscha. In an effort to make the White House art collection more inclusive and representative of the American artistic landscape, the Obamas have also requested art by female and African American artists such as Alma Thomas.

Currently, the roughly 450-piece permanent collection includes five works by black artists: the Clinton portraits by Mr. Knox; “The Builders” by Lawrence ; “Sand Dunes at Sunset, Atlantic City” by Henry Ossawa Tanner, which hangs in the Green Room and was purchased at Hillary Clinton’s urging in 1995; and “The Farm Landing,” a tranquil landscape painted in 1892 by Rhode Island artist Edward Bannister, purchased with donations in 2006.

The Obamas consistently seem to embody an effortless cool and hipness. They are aware of modern culture and openly embrace it. Their goals of inclusion and unity are not a part of a PR policy, but of genuine concern. The national media have taken some heat for promoting and covering this image of cool, while neglecting coverage of the president's political work. Stories on Michelle Obama's dresses or the President Obama's NCAA Tournament picks are seen as inconsequential and letting the president avoid political criticism because his public image is that of a very hip, forward thinking man. (Anyone who gets made fun of by John Hodgman automatically gets some pop culture street cred.) Are the aforementioned stories merely fluff? I think interest in the Obamas art collection, the First Lady's Dresses, and the President's basketball favorites, all indicate a general interest in government. It shows that there is a man leading the country that people are watching and want to know more about. I think any interest at all in political figures is a good sign. It shows investment in the political process and the future of the country. If said investment involves learning about the First Family's love of Jasper Johns, then so be it.

"Wall Street Journal" article in its entirety.

A little background on President Obama's favorite artist, C.M. Coolidge. (just kidding)