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74-588: Cook was born on February 11, 1914. Cook was born in Chicago, Illinois but grew up in Detroit, Michigan. He was raised by his mother, who ran a boarding house for Black performers who were not welcome at white-owned establishments. As a result, he met and saw a number of acts including Ethel Waters , Butterbeans and Susie , Runnin’ Wild, and Lucky Sambo as a young child. He was 13 when he met Ernest “Brownie” Brown , who would later become his dance partner. Little

148-1246: A 1977 documentary about the Copasetics funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. He choreographed “Fancy Feet” at the Smithsonian Institution , and served as assistant coordinator for “Sisters,” an all female jazz performance. He appeared in “ Kiss Me Kate ” on Broadway, performed at the Newport Jazz Festival in “Benny Carter & The Tap Dance Greats”, American Dance Festival , Delacorte Dance Festival, Apollo Theater's Rat-A-Tat-Tap Festival, and Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival. Many of these festivals also featured other Copasetics members and new tappers, such as Savion Glover. Cook also danced in Brookly Academy of Music's Tappin’ Uptown: A New Tap Musical, City College's Aaron Davis Hall in An Evening with Charles Cook and Friends (1984), and at Boston Opera House in

222-464: A compromise bill to save the Endowment. The Williams-Coleman substitute increased funding to states arts councils for new programs to expand access to the arts in rural and inner city areas, leave the obscenity determination to the courts, and altered the composition of the review panels to increase diversity of representation and eradicate the possibility of conflicts of interest. After fierce debate,

296-498: A hat was passed around to collect money, and if there was any extra it was given to whichever member needed it most. Cook performed often with the Copasetics, including many charitable performances, such as benefits for Associated Black Charities. The Copasetics also performed in Los Angeles at the 1984 Summer Olympic games. In 1990, Cook performed at a "Salute to the Copasetics", described as “An Evening of Terrific Tap Dancing by

370-544: A pianist and family acquaintance from a middle-class African-American background. Waters' family was very fair-skinned, his mother in particular. Many sources, including Ethel herself, reported for years that her mother was 12 or 13 years old at the time of the rape, 13 when Ethel was born. Stephen Bourne opens his 2007 biography, Ethel Waters: Stormy Weather , with the statement that genealogical research has shown that Louise Anderson may have been 15 or 16 years old. Waters played no role in raising his daughter. Soon after she

444-590: A private residence. The owner considered Waters to be "an adopted grandmother" but she allowed the Huntsville Museum of Art to display Portrait of Ethel Waters in the 2016 exhibition American Romantic: The Art of Luigi Lucioni where it was viewed by the public for the first time in more than 70 years. The museum acquired Portrait of Ethel Waters in 2017, and it was shown in an exhibition in February 2018. A turning point came in 1957 when she attended

518-425: A similar account to British lesbian magazine Diva in 1997. In 1938, Waters met artist Luigi Lucioni through their mutual friend, Carl Van Vechten . Lucioni asked Waters if he could paint her portrait, and a sitting was arranged at his studio at 64 Washington Square South. Waters bought the finished portrait from Lucioni in 1939 for $ 500. She was at the height of her career and the first African American to have

592-495: A singer for Jack Denny & His Orchestra on a national radio program, and in nightclubs. She became the highest-paid performer on Broadway. Despite this status, she had difficulty finding work. She moved to Los Angeles to appear in the 1942 film Cairo . During the same year, she reprised her starring stage role as Petunia in the all-black film musical Cabin in the Sky directed by Vincente Minnelli , and starring Lena Horne as

666-486: A starring role on Broadway. In her portrait, she wore a tailored red dress with a mink coat draped over the back of her chair. Lucioni positioned Waters with her arms tightly wrapped around her waist, a gesture that conveyed vulnerability, as if she were trying to protect herself. The painting was considered lost because it had not been seen in public since 1942. Huntsville (Alabama) Museum of Art Executive Director Christopher J. Madkour and historian Stuart Embury traced it to

740-408: A successor takes office. Ten members of the council constitutes a quorum. The current council members as of September 28, 2024: President Biden has nominated the following to fill seats on the commission. They await Senate confirmation. Between 1965 and 2008, the agency has made in excess of 128,000 grants, totaling more than $ 5 billion. From the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s, Congress granted

814-571: Is "dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts, both new and established; bringing the arts to all Americans; and providing leadership in arts education". The NEA is governed by a chairman nominated by the president to a four-year term and subject to congressional confirmation. The NEA's advisory committee, the National Council on the Arts, advises the chairman on policies and programs, as well as reviewing grant applications, fundraising guidelines, and leadership initiative. The council

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888-647: Is awarded by the President of the United States and NEA for outstanding contributions to the excellence, growth, support, and availability of the arts in the United States. Upon entering office in 1981, the incoming Ronald Reagan administration intended to push Congress to abolish the NEA completely over a three-year period. Reagan's first director of the Office of Management and Budget, David A. Stockman , thought

962-714: Is composed of 25 members, 18 appointed by the president of the United States with the consent of the United States Senate , six ex officio members, and the chairperson of the NEA, who also serves as chair of the council. The six ex officio members are members of Congress, where two are appointed by the Speaker of the House, one by the Minority Leader of the House, two by the Majority Leader of

1036-676: Is facially valid, as it neither inherently interferes with First Amendment rights nor violates constitutional vagueness principles. The 1994 midterm elections cleared the way for House Speaker Newt Gingrich to lead a renewed attack on the NEA. Gingrich had called for the NEA to be eliminated along with the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting . While some in Congress attacked

1110-715: Is known about Cook's personal life. He never married but had a close, seemingly flirtatious, relationship with his student Jane Goldberg . In addition to frequently performing around New York City , he also attended other arts events in the city. He is noted to have attended the presentation of tap shoes to the mayor Dinkins of New York City on National Tap Dance Day in 1990, and attended celebrations of Duke Ellington and Charles “Honi” Coles . There are multiple references to Cook's drinking habits, in particular his habit of drinking before shows, causing him to lose control or miss steps on stage. Cook also had been mentioned to have mood swings and emotional outbursts before shows. In 1989, he

1184-480: Is on all of us sparrows." In her later years, Waters often toured with the preacher Billy Graham on his crusades. She was a baptized Catholic and considered herself a member of that religion throughout her life. Waters died on September 1, 1977, aged 80, from uterine cancer , kidney failure , and other ailments, in Chatsworth, California. She is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) . Ethel

1258-434: Is the federal agency responsible for recognizing outstanding achievement in the arts. It does this by awarding three lifetime achievement awards. The NEA Jazz Masters Fellowships are awarded to individuals who have made significant contributions to the art of jazz. The NEA National Heritage Fellowships are awarded for artistic excellence and accomplishments for American's folk and traditional arts. The National Medal of Arts

1332-542: The ingénue . Conflicts arose when Minnelli swapped songs from the original script between Waters and Horne: Waters wanted to perform "Honey in the Honeycomb" as a ballad, but Horne wanted to dance to it. Horne broke her ankle and the songs were reversed. She got the ballad and Waters the dance. Waters sang the Academy Award-nominated " Happiness is Just a Thing Called Joe ". In 1939, Waters became

1406-549: The Billy Graham Crusade in Madison Square Garden. Years later, she gave this testimony of that night: "In 1957, I, Ethel Waters, a 380-pound decrepit old lady, rededicated my life to Jesus Christ, and boy, because He lives, just look at me now. I tell you because He lives; and because my precious child, Billy, gave me the opportunity to stand there, I can thank God for the chance to tell you His eye

1480-590: The New York Drama Critics Circle Award for her performance opposite Julie Harris in the play The Member of the Wedding . Waters and Harris repeated their roles in the 1952 film version . In 1950, Waters was the first African-American actress to star in a television series, Beulah , which aired on ABC television from 1950 through 1952. It was the first nationally broadcast weekly television series starring an African American in

1554-512: The " NEA Four ". Since 1996, the NEA has partially rebounded with a 2015 budget of $ 146.21 million. In FY 2010, the NEA's budget reached mid-1990s levels with a $ 167.5 million budget but fell again in FY 2011 with a budget of $ 154 million. On March 11, 2024, President Joe Biden released the President's Budget for FY 2025, with $ 210.1 million budgeted for the NEA. The NEA provides grants in

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1628-597: The 1943 film “Chatter”. Both Brown and Cook had to continue the tradition of “blacking up” by wearing burnt cork, though they tried to avoid the practice as much as possible. Cook was a founding member of the Copasetics, a group of tappers and performers dedicated to preserving the memory of Bill “Bojangles” Robinson in 1949. The group was founded after Robinson's funeral, and was a fraternity of “drinking buddies.” The group included Honi Coles , Buster Brown, “Bubba” Gains, “Phace” Roberts, Louis Sims Carpenter, Leroy Myers , Cook, and others. There were no membership dues, instead

1702-647: The Arts later hosted the Mapplethorpe show. The cancellation was highly criticized and in September 1989, the Director of the Corcoran gallery, Christina Orr-Cahill, issued a formal statement of apology saying, "The Corcoran Gallery of Art in attempting to defuse the NEA funding controversy by removing itself from the political spotlight, has instead found itself in the center of controversy. By withdrawing from

1776-653: The Arts foundation . He was “given hell” by the other members of the Copasetics for passing on tap steps to white girls, most notably Jane Goldberg. Goldberg was Cook's mentee and dance partner for many years. He was noted to have created several dances for the two of them, to songs including “Let’s be Buddies” and“The Jitterbug Waltz.” In 1978-79, under the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act , which provided jobs to artists, Goldberg and Cook performed together at nursing homes, schools, libraries, and small theaters throughout New York City. At that time, it

1850-631: The Best.” In the 1970s when Brown retired, Cookie continued to perform as a guest and solo artist, as well as teach. He taught at the Brooklyn Academy of Music , American University , Clark Center, and Yale , and always taught with his back to students. He taught at multiple festivals and workshops including at the Village Gate , the By Word of Foot tap Festival, and at a Harlem School of

1924-903: The Great Tap Dance Reunion (1988). He also danced at the Gershwin Gala, has performed at Carnegie Hall , and was the subject of “Cookie’s Harlem,” an exhibit about his life. Cook has also performed at the Clark Center Summer Dance Festival in 1986 in a program called “Dancing Feet”, at Lincoln Center Out of Doors in a performance called “Tap Blast” in 1989, and at the American Tap Dance Orchestra Premiere Performance at Statue of Liberty Festival in Battery Park . In 1990 he performed and

1998-427: The Mapplethorpe exhibition, we, the board of trustees and the director, have inadvertently offended many members of the arts community which we deeply regret. Our course in the future will be to support art, artists and freedom of expression." Democratic representative Pat Williams , chairman of the House subcommittee with jurisdiction over the NEA reauthorization, partnered with Republican Tom Coleman to formulate

2072-495: The NEA an annual funding of between $ 160 and $ 180 million. In 1996, Congress cut the NEA funding to $ 99.5 million as a result of pressure from conservative groups, including the American Family Association , who criticized the agency for using tax dollars to fund highly controversial artists such as Barbara DeGenevieve , Andres Serrano , Robert Mapplethorpe , and the performance artists known as

2146-534: The NEA and the National Endowment for the Humanities were "good [departments] to simply bring to a halt because they went too far, and they would be easy to defeat." Another proposal would have halved the arts endowment budget. However, these plans were abandoned when the President's special task force on the arts and humanities, which included close Reagan allies such as conservatives Charlton Heston and Joseph Coors , discovered "the needs involved and benefits of past assistance," concluding that continued federal support

2220-491: The Senate, and one by the Minority Leader of the Senate. These six serve two-year terms, and serve as nonvoting members of the council. The eighteen appointed by the President are selected from among private citizens of the United States who are widely recognized for their broad knowledge of, or expertise in, or for their profound interest in the arts; and have established records of distinguished service, or achieved eminence, in

2294-633: The South. In 1924, Waters played at the Plantation Club on Broadway . She also toured with the Black Swan Dance Masters. She first recorded for Columbia in 1925, achieving a hit with " Dinah ". With Earl Dancer, she joined what was called the "white time" Keith Vaudeville Circuit , a vaudeville circuit performing for white audiences and combined with screenings of silent movies. They received rave reviews in Chicago and earned

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2368-633: The Sparrow ". Waters was the second African American to be nominated for an Academy Award , the first African American to star on her own television show, and the first African-American woman to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award . Waters was born in Chester, Pennsylvania, on October 31, 1896 (some sources incorrectly state her birth year as 1900 ) as a result of the rape of her teenaged African-American mother, Louise Anderson (1881–1962), by 17-year-old John Wesley (or Wesley John) Waters (1878–1901),

2442-558: The Sparrow , (1951), written with Charles Samuels , was adapted for the stage by Larry Parr and premiered on October 7, 2005. In 1953, she appeared in a Broadway show, At Home With Ethel Waters that opened on September 22, 1953, and closed October 10 after 23 performances. Waters married three times and had no children. When she was 13, she married Merritt "Buddy" Purnsley in 1909; they divorced in 1913. She married Clyde Edwards Matthews in 1929, and they divorced in 1933. She married Edward Mallory in 1938; they divorced in 1945. Waters

2516-458: The Tap Hall of Fame, bringing tap masters on stage to discover the thief. Though Cook revived old acts for their performances, he was always creating new works and acts. The cast ranged from tap veterans to brand new tappers, and included improvisation, production numbers by cast, and a full cast finale. The company was dedicated to preserving, promoting, and performing jazz tap. One of their shows

2590-704: The Television Academy in the Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction or Reality Series category. The National Endowment for the Arts was created during the term of President Lyndon B. Johnson under the general auspices of the Great Society . According to historian Karen Patricia Heath, "Johnson personally was not much interested in the acquisition of knowledge, cultural or otherwise, for its own sake, nor did he have time for art appreciation or meeting with artists." The NEA

2664-542: The United States. The NEA also manages the National Medal of Arts , awarded annually by the President. Artist William Powhida has noted that "in one single auction, wealthy collectors bought almost a billion dollars in contemporary art at Christie's in New York." He further commented: "If you had a 2 percent tax just on the auctions in New York you could probably double the NEA budget in two nights." The NEA

2738-699: The areas of prose and poetry. The NEA offers partnerships for state, regional, federal, international activities, and design. The state arts agencies and regional arts organizations are the NEA's primary partners in serving the American people through the arts. Forty percent of all NEA funding goes to the state arts agencies and regional arts organizations. Additionally, the NEA awards three Lifetime Honors: NEA National Heritage Fellowships to master folk and traditional artists, NEA Jazz Masters Fellowships to jazz musicians and advocates, and NEA Opera Honors to individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to opera in

2812-433: The arts and shall make such appointments so as to represent equitably all geographical areas in the United States. These are appointed to serve terms of six years. The terms are staggered so three terms end September 3 each year. These members are not eligible for reappointment during the two-year period following the expiration of their term. However, they may continue to serve on the council after their term's expiration until

2886-460: The arts; so as to include practicing artists, civic cultural leaders, members of the museum profession, and others who are professionally engaged in the arts; and so as collectively to provide an appropriate distribution of membership among major art fields and interested citizens groups. In making these appointments, the President shall give due regard to equitable representation of women, minorities, and individuals with disabilities who are involved in

2960-486: The attacks. Republican representative Dick Armey , an opponent of federal arts funding, began to attack a planned exhibition of photographs by Robert Mapplethorpe at the Corcoran Museum of Art that was to receive NEA support. On June 12, 1989, The Corcoran cancelled the Mapplethorpe exhibition, saying that it did not want to "adversely affect the NEA's congressional appropriations." The Washington Project for

3034-497: The categories of arts projects, national initiatives, and partnership agreements. Grants for arts projects support exemplary projects for artist communities, arts education, dance, design, folk and traditional arts, literature, local arts agencies, media arts, museums, music, musical theater, opera, presenting (including multidisciplinary art forms), theater, and visual arts. The NEA also grants individual fellowships in literature to creative writers and translators of exceptional talent in

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3108-411: The center of the controversy was Piss Christ , a photo of a plastic crucifix submerged in a vial of an amber fluid described by the artist as his own urine. Republican Senators Jesse Helms and Al D'Amato began to rally against the NEA, and expanded the attack to include other artists. Prominent conservative Christian figures including Pat Robertson of the 700 Club and Pat Buchanan joined

3182-468: The dance team Cook & Brown with Ernest “Brownie” Brown. This was a “knockabout” comedy act, complete with acrobatic stunts, comedy, tumbling, and dancing. It was noted to be some of the best comedy dancing during the 1930s, and they opened at the Cotton Club and performed at Lafayette Theatre . They were the second Black set to appear at Radio City Music Hall . Cook and Brown were also featured in

3256-560: The early 1920s, she reportedly lived in Harlem with dancer Ethel Williams, identified by several historical retrospectives as her romantic partner. This residence has been documented by the NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project , who write that Waters was "well known in Harlem's lesbian circles" and that she and Williams were known to lesbian activist Mabel Hampton as "the two Ethels". Singer Elisabeth Welch gave

3330-406: The film Pinky (1949) under the direction of Elia Kazan after the first director, John Ford , quit over disagreements with Waters. According to producer Darryl F. Zanuck , Ford "hated that old...woman (Waters)." Ford, Kazan stated, "didn't know how to reach Ethel Waters." Kazan later referred to Waters's "truly odd combination of old-time religiosity and free-flowing hatred." In 1950, she won

3404-565: The first African American to star in her own television show: The Ethel Waters Show , a variety special, appeared on NBC's New York station on June 14, 1939. It included a dramatic performance of the Broadway play Mamba's Daughters , based on the Gullah community of South Carolina and produced with her in mind. The play was based on the novel by DuBose Heyward . Waters was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for

3478-410: The funding of controversial artists, others argued the endowment was wasteful and elitist. However, despite massive budget cutbacks and the end of grants to individual artists, Gingrich ultimately failed in his push to eliminate the endowment. The budget outline submitted by then-president Donald Trump on March 16, 2017, to Congress would have eliminated all funding for the program. Congress approved

3552-665: The grant money in question, though the case would make its way to the United States Supreme Court in National Endowment for the Arts v. Finley . The case centered on subsection (d)(1) of 20 U.S.C.   § 954 which provides that the NEA Chairperson shall ensure that artistic excellence and artistic merit are the criteria by which applications are judged. The court ruled in 524 U.S. 569 (1998), that Section 954(d)(1)

3626-564: The highest paid black recording artist at the time. In early 1924, Paramount bought Black Swan, and she stayed with Paramount through the year. Around that time, Waters was approached by Maury Greenwald for the London run of Plantation Days , although she later joined the company on its return to Chicago in August 1923, as an "extra added attraction" to "save the fast-flopping revue". She started working with Pearl Wright, and they toured in

3700-645: The job. After her start in Baltimore, Waters toured on the black vaudeville circuit, in her words "from nine until unconscious." Despite her early success, she fell on hard times and joined a carnival traveling in freight cars headed for Chicago. She enjoyed her time with the carnival and recalled, "the roustabouts and the concessionaires were the kind of people I'd grown up with, rough, tough, full of larceny towards strangers, but sentimental and loyal to their friends and co-workers." But she did not last long with them and soon headed south to Atlanta, where she worked in

3774-475: The language embodied in the Williams-Coleman substitute prevailed and subsequently became law. Though this controversy inspired congressional debate about appropriations to the NEA, including proposed restrictions on the content of NEA-supported work and their grantmaking guidelines, efforts to defund the NEA failed. Conservative media continued to attack individual artists whose NEA-supported work

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3848-462: The leading role. She starred as Beulah for the first year of the TV series before quitting in 1951, complaining that the portrayal of blacks was "degrading." She was replaced by Louise Beavers in the second and third season. She guest-starred in 1957 and 1959 on NBC's The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford . In a 1957 segment, she sang "Cabin in the Sky". Her first autobiography, His Eye Is on

3922-505: The marriage and became a maid in a Philadelphia hotel, working for $ 4.75 per week. On her 17th birthday, she attended a costume party at a nightclub on Juniper Street. She was persuaded to sing two songs and impressed the audience so much that she was offered professional work at the Lincoln Theatre in Baltimore. The job singing and dancing in Baltimore netted her $ 9 a week, with two of her friends weekly skimming $ 16 for getting her

3996-498: The most accessible tap masters from whom younger generations learned steps. He was passionate about passing on tap routines that he wanted to preserve, despite criticism from other tappers. His students included Pat Cannon, Heather Cornell, Susan Goldbetter, Constance Valis Hill, Katherine Kramer, and many more. Gail Conrad and Jane Goldberg in particular credit Cookie with their tap skills and “finesse”. Ethel Waters Ethel Waters (October 31, 1896 – September 1, 1977)

4070-541: The same club as Bessie Smith . Smith demanded that Waters not compete in singing blues opposite her. Waters conceded and sang ballads and popular songs. Around 1919, Waters moved to Harlem and became a performer in the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s. Her first Harlem job was at Edmond's Cellar, a club with a black patronage that specialized in popular ballads. She acted in a blackface comedy, Hello 1919 . Jazz historian Rosetta Reitz pointed out that by

4144-530: The time Waters returned to Harlem in 1921, women blues singers were among the most powerful entertainers in the country. In 1921, Waters became the fifth black woman to make a record, for tiny Cardinal Records . She later joined Black Swan , where Fletcher Henderson was her accompanist. Waters later commented that Henderson tended to perform in a more classical style than she preferred, often lacking "the damn-it-to-hell bass." She recorded for Black Swan from 1921 through 1923. Her contract with Harry Pace made her

4218-419: The unheard-of salary of US$ 1,250 in 1928. In September 1926, Waters recorded " I'm Coming Virginia ", composed by Donald Heywood with lyrics by Will Marion Cook . She is often wrongly attributed as the author. The following year, Waters sang it in a production of Africana at Broadway's Daly's Sixty-Third Street Theatre. In 1929, Waters and Wright arranged the unreleased Harry Akst song " Am I Blue? ", which

4292-410: Was a big deal to Cook to have steady employment and income. In 1978, Goldberg received a choreography fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts and created It's About Time , a lecture-demonstration that Cook was an integral part of. The lecture-demonstration ended up evolving into a full show featuring Cook and other artists, known as Goldberg’s "Changing Times Tap Dancing Company". The show

4366-457: Was a child. I never was cuddled, liked, or understood by my family." Waters grew tall, standing 5 feet 9.5 inches (1.765 m) in her teens. According to jazz historian and archivist Rosetta Reitz , Waters's birth in the North and her peripatetic (or nomadic) life exposed her to many cultures. Waters first married in 1910 at the age of 13, but her husband was abusive, and she soon left

4440-456: Was an American singer and actress. Waters frequently performed jazz, swing, and pop music on the Broadway stage and in concerts. She began her career in the 1920s singing blues. Her notable recordings include " Dinah ", " Stormy Weather ", " Taking a Chance on Love ", " Heat Wave ", " Supper Time ", " Am I Blue? ", " Cabin in the Sky ", " I'm Coming Virginia ", and her version of " His Eye Is on

4514-681: Was awarded Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre in 1995, as well as the Special Tony Award in 2016. In 1985, the NEA won an honorary Oscar from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for its work with the American Film Institute in the identification, acquisition, restoration and preservation of historic films. In 2016 and again in 2017, the National Endowment for the Arts received Emmy nominations from

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4588-570: Was being crushed and suffocated." In 1933, she had a featured role in the successful Irving Berlin Broadway musical revue As Thousands Cheer with Clifton Webb , Marilyn Miller , and Helen Broderick . She became the first black woman to integrate Broadway's theater district more than a decade after actor Charles Gilpin 's critically acclaimed performances in the plays of Eugene O'Neill beginning with The Emperor Jones in 1920. Waters held three jobs: in As Thousands Cheer , as

4662-456: Was born, her mother married Norman Howard, a railroad worker, with whom she had a daughter, Juanita Howard, Ethel's half-sister. Ethel used the surname Howard as a child and then reverted to using the surname Waters. She was raised in poverty by Sally Anderson, her grandmother, who worked as a housemaid, and with two of her aunts and an uncle. Waters never lived in the same place for more than 15 months. Of her difficult childhood, she said "I never

4736-727: Was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government by an act of the U.S. Congress , signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson on September 29, 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 951). It is a sub-agency of the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities , along with the National Endowment for the Humanities , the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities , and the Institute of Museum and Library Services . The NEA has its offices in Washington, D.C. It

4810-535: Was deemed controversial. The "NEA Four", Karen Finley , Tim Miller , John Fleck , and Holly Hughes , were performance artists whose proposed grants from the United States government's National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) were vetoed by John Frohnmayer in June 1990. Grants were overtly vetoed on the basis of subject matter after the artists had successfully passed through a peer review process. The artists won their case in court in 1993 and were awarded amounts equal to

4884-482: Was entitled “Shoot Me While I'm Happy: An Evening of Jazz Tap Dancing,” and as per tradition, they invited members of the audience on stage for the finale. “Shoot me while I’m happy” came from a line that Cookie would always shout during the third break of the shim sham. When performing with Cook, Goldberg noted that he would always freak out the night before a show, feeling as though he deserved more money and accusing Goldberg of taking more than her fair share of pay, as he

4958-426: Was important. Frank Hodsoll became the chairman of the NEA in 1981, and while the department's budget decreased from $ 158.8 million in 1981 to $ 143.5 million, by 1989 it was $ 169.1 million, the highest it had ever been. In 1989, Donald Wildmon of the American Family Association held a press conference attacking what he called "anti-Christian bigotry," in an exhibition by photographer Andres Serrano . The work at

5032-621: Was incredibly well received and toured all over the United States including Cincinnati, Seattle, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, as well as performing at George Wein's Kool Jazz Festival, a festival at NYU, Harvard , and at the Merrill Lynch Dance Series at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. Their show at the Goodman Theatre featured Cook and Goldberg as detectives solving the case of missing tap shoes from

5106-467: Was part of a lecture entitled “On Tap: Tap Dance as Living History” in Harlem. Cook was also featured in “Black Broadway,” a show that opened in 1980 celebrating Black artistry. The show featured a number of song and dance numbers including Bill Robinson's "Doin' the New Lowdown" and "Digga Digga Do” (1928), “Stormy Weather” (1933), and “ Sweet Georgia Brown ” (1925). Cook is noted as being one of

5180-565: Was rushed from his home on St. Nicholas Ave to St. Luke's Hospital after collapsing for an unknown reason. Cook passed away in early August, 1991 at the age of 77 in New York City from kidney failure. He left instructions that his ashes were to be spread in “2040 7th Avenue space”. Cook began performing at a young age, and in 1929 performed with the act "Garbage and His Two Cans", playing the garbage cans, and toured Black vaudeville circuits with Sarah Venabe and Her Picks . In 1930 he formed

5254-475: Was the great-aunt of the singer-songwriter Crystal Waters . Waters may have also been married briefly to Earl Dancer in 1927. According to the National Museum of African American History and Culture , Waters identified as bisexual early in her career, though she never spoke publicly about her sexuality, and had a large gay and lesbian following that included photographer Carl Van Vechten . During

5328-452: Was used in the movie On with the Show and became a hit and her signature song. In 1933, Waters appeared in a satirical all-black film, Rufus Jones for President , which featured the child performer Sammy Davis Jr. as Rufus Jones. She went on to star at the Cotton Club , where, according to her autobiography, she "sang ' Stormy Weather ' from the depths of the private hell in which I

5402-822: Was used to being ripped off by white managers. Cook did some performing abroad, and was commissioned to pick singers and dancers to perform in Italy at the Cotton Club in Rome in 1962. The same year he toured in Asia, performing in China and Japan with the potential to stop in Korea although it is unclear whether or not he did end up performing there. Throughout the 1970s and 80s, Cook had a busy and diverse career. He appeared in films including “Cotton Club” (1984), and “Great Feats of Feet,”

5476-569: Was written and performed by Terry Burrell as a one-woman tribute to Waters. It ran as a limited engagement in February and March 2012. Ethel Waters: I Touched a Sparrow, Twila knaack National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts ( NEA ) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It

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