Art historian and University of Texas at Austin professor Ann Collins Johns sent a message on the White House website taking offense at Obama’s remarks, explaining the importance of art history and how art historians can help enrich the culture.
Well, apparently, they actually do read those website messages, because Johns received a response from the president personally apologizing for the remark. Here it is in full:
Ann —Let me apologize for my off-the-cuff remarks. I was making a point about the jobs market, not the value of art history. As it so happens, art history was one of my favorite subjects in high school, and it has helped me take in a great deal of
joy in my life that I might otherwise have missed.So please pass on my apology for the glib remark to the entire department, and understand that I was trying to encourage young people who may not be predisposed to a four year college experience to be open to technical training that can lead them to an honorable career.Sincerely,Barack Obama
You can watch the video of Obama’s initial remarks below, via MSNBC:
[h/t TPM]
[photo via screengrab]
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Follow Josh Feldman on Twitter: @feldmaniac