Peace Corps for Artists?

NPR's All Things Considered discusses the possibility of an Artists Corps teaching artist model and examines Kiff Gallagher's MusicianCorps.

President-elect Barack Obama has said he believes the arts are good for people. During his campaign, one of his ideas was to create an Artist Corps — a kind of Peace Corps for artists who would work in low-income schools and communities.

But what would this actually look like?

There's already a model being developed for musicians called MusicianCorps. Kiff Gallagher's idea would be similar to AmeriCorps — in exchange for a year or two of service teaching in schools and after-school programs, musicians would get health care and a living stipend. Gallagher has the attention of Obama's transition team.

He also has the attention of private industry — the Hewlett Foundation gave MusicianCorps a $500,000 grant for a pilot program in the San Francisco Bay Area.

More background on Gallagher's idea and Obama's arts interest:

• Innovation Strategy: Music Service Corps, Kiff Gallagher, Huffington Post
  
• The Music National Service Initiative (MNSi) is "a new social enterprise dedicated to supporting and expanding the use of music as a means of addressing important civic and social needs."
  
• Obama's Arts Plan
  
• ImaginArtists Alliance: hosting a dialogue on creating an Artist Corps
  
• Obama on Arts Education