President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate former New Hampshire state representative Paul Hodes '72 to the National Council on the Arts, according to press release issued by the White House on Friday. The nomination is pending Senate approval, but the date of the confirmation hearing has not yet been set.
Hodes was nominated for his experience as a performer and his involvement with the arts and entertainment communities, according to the release. Hodes, who performs in a children's rock band with his wife, said in an interview with The Dartmouth that he is "deeply honored and highly motivated" by the potential appointment.
If inducted into the National Council on the Arts, Hodes will promote the arts and arts education in order to "help people understand that investment in arts education is investment in the future that pays huge dividends," he said. Arts education is essential for competition in the world's creative economy, according to Hodes. The National Council on the Arts meets three times a year and advises the Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts on issues such as applications for federal grants, guidelines on funding allocations and policy directions for Congressional legislation, according to the National Endowment for the Arts's website.
The National Council on the Arts is comprised of 14 members serving six-year terms, according to the National Endowment for the Arts's website.
"Creativity is the foundation for companies like Apple," he said. "Steve Jobs was an artist who brought art into computer programming."
Hodes said he looks forward to the opportunity to further his passion for the arts if he is confirmed to the National Council on the Arts.
"For me, this is a great honor and a platform to continue advocacy in the arts that has been an important part of my whole life," he said.
Hodes said his nomination has come at a very important time, especially in light of recent cuts to arts education funding.
"We need to teach kids how to think creatively, and not just what to think," Hodes said. "There is no substitute for arts education."
To be on the National Council on the Arts, nominees must undergo a vetting process that includes multiple background checks, Hodes said. Hodes has been considered for the post for almost a year, and although the appointment is not to a controversial position, it is unclear how long Senate approval will take, Hodes said.
Hodes took up an interest in the arts when he started playing the guitar as a teenager, he said.
"It was the 1960s," he said. "There were new things happening in music."
Hodes credits Dartmouth for cultivating and channeling the spirit of the 1960s into the classroom, remembering Dartmouth as a place that "allowed space for innovation," he said.
Hodes was inspired by classes he took with French and Italian professor John Rassias, and by his experience in the Dartmouth Players, an on-campus theater group, he said. Hodes still remains in close contact with Rassias, whom he considers a "dear friend," he said.
Hodes is well-qualified for his appointment to the National Council on the Arts, Rassias said in an interview with The Dartmouth.
"Passion directs the greatest achievements," Rassias said. "Hodes has passion in his veins. Whatever he does, he does completely."
Following graduation, Hodes spent three years writing and performing as an artist, he said. After attending Boston College Law School, Hodes practiced trial and entertainment law, according to the White House press release.
Throughout his law career, Hodes remained involved in the arts, he said.
"Balance wasn't always easy," Hodes said. "But it was important to me."
While practicing law, Hodes and his wife, Peggo Hodes, won two Parent's Choice Awards for their band, "Peggosus," which produces rock music for children, Hodes said.
Hodes has also served on a number of local and state-level arts councils, including the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts, he said.
Hodes entered politics in 2006 because he was "deeply concerned about the direction the country was headed in," he said.
"I wanted to see if I could make a difference," he said.
Hodes served in the New Hampshire House of Representatives from 2007-2011, but lost the 2010 election for a seat in the U.S. Senate.
Although he is not currently in public office, Hodes said he plans to remain politically active, although he did not mention any specific future plans.
National Council on the Arts members are selected for distinguished records of service to the arts, and previous members include Duke Ellington, Harper Lee, Sidney Poitier and John Steinbeck, according to the National Endowment for the Arts's website.
