Hollywood names join Obama panel

Sex and the City star Sarah Jessica Parker has become a member of US President Barack Obama's committee of arts and humanities.

Hollywood actors Forest Whitaker and Ed Norton have also joined the panel, which focuses on arts and humanities education and special events.

Vogue editor Anna Wintour and cellist Yo-Yo Ma are also among those appointed by the president.

First Lady Michelle Obama is the committee's honorary chairwoman.

Defining

The panel also establishes cultural links within the US and with other countries through the arts.

The panel's members are drawn from the private sector and government agencies.

Michelle Obama has previously spoken about the importance of the arts.

"The arts are not just a nice thing to have or to do if there is free time or if one can afford it. Rather paintings and poetry, music ... design and dialogue, they all define who we are as a people and provide an account of our history for the next generation," she said.

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US Committee on Arts and Humanities
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