Brief Summary of the History & Progress of the Arts in the U.S

From the Clinton to the Biden Presidency: 1993 - 2025

INTRODUCTION

What is most apt to startle a foreigner should they study the history and progress of the arts in the United States is the flexibility and diversity the nation has in this regard. Moreover, it is also startling to see how little retention there is by the public for previous works that played such crucial roles in the lives of their predecessors, this has large to do not only with the ever-shifting nature of American politics but also with the fluxes of immigration, lack of firm government patronage, and attraction to foreign works of which have been strong since the earliest years of the republic. What stands before us in marvelous detail is the progress made during the years following the Cold War with the Soviets, an age highly dominated by the World Wide Web and the rise of digital technology, which provides, both to the historian and connoisseur, a large and detailed volume. Hence, like the age of Roosevelt with its dazzling cinema or that of the Jacksonian Democracy with its flowering of American literature and theatre, the digital age has its unique idiosyncracies, and through these circumstances the arts of music, poetry, painting, etc… have likewise flourished in the country in unprecedented ways.

THE CLINTON PRESIDENCY [1993-2001]

The Clinton presidency, starting shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union coincided greatly with the proliferation of the World Wide Web, that tool which would provide ample information and entertainment for countless millions in the following years. Domestically, the nation was focusing on petty cultural conflicts which are common when no foreign war is agitating the body politic. The sex scandals of the president together with panic over entertainers was a great part of the public discourse in this age. The foreign affairs were calm thanks to the proximity with Boris Yeltsin of Russia and the peace between Beijing and Washington. The nefarious developments in Afghanistan, North Korea, Iran, and Iraq, although much trumpeted by the primetime reporters were much less cause for concern than those domestic issues alluded to earlier. Much of the industrial output of the nation had been offshored to the People’s Republic of China and Japan’s strength in digital technology remained the object of envy and wonder.

What is perhaps most noticeable in the Clinton presidency is just how influential foreign cinema was together with the rise of more daring works of art, largely promulgated by a market that’s eager to sell to a curious clientele. This period saw the death of Roy Lichtenstein in which, much like Keith Haring, Andy Warhol, and Jean-Michel Basquiat, the style of pop art was solidified and established. This style, although introduced before the 1990s, had by this time become more consecrated and institutionalized. The primacy of abstract art remained dominant, and great advancements were made by the museums in exhibiting the works of African-American painters like Jacob Lawrence, female artists like Alice Neel and Georgia O’Keefe, together with an interest in “Gay” and “Lesbian” art, which would later receive the appellation of LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender), among other varieties. Such artists and styles had become quite established in this era. Presidential portraits were painted by Chuck Close, Simmie Knox, among others that gave credit to these painters for developing style and technique.

The cinema of this time was also memorable for its thrilling original works, Spielberg, in particular, had won great acclaim not only for his box office hit, Jurassic Park (1994), but also for his historical pictures like Schindler’s List (1993) and Saving Private Ryan (1998). This also coincided with the tenure of Michael Eisner as the head of Disney, which greatly encouraged involvement in cable television as well as an increase in strong animated films that would be marked as the “Disney Renaissance”, the most celebrated of which was The Lion King (1994), Hercules (1997), Mulan (1998), and Tarzan (1999). The appreciation for foreign films, especially those of Japan and Chinese countries like Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the People’s Republic of China, were vastly consumed. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) won great acclaim worldwide and actors specializing in karate films such as Jackie Chan became immensely famous while Tim Burton likewise grew in popularity with his whimsical films like The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), James and the Giant Peach (1996), Sleepy Hollow (1999), etc…. Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction (1994) won the Palme d’Or at Cannes and launched the career of the director. The influence of Japan was also incredible and with it came the iconic films by Hayao Miyazaki as well as several anime series which were eagerly devoured by younger generations. Titanic (1997) by James Cameron likewise had an enormous influence on the country. It’s also important to note the rise of adult cartoons in this era, while the American people already knew the success of The Simpsons (1989-Present) but the introduction of shows like Beavis & Butthead (1993-1997), South Park (1997-Present), and Family Guy (1999-Present), the latter two winning enormous popularity in the following presidency, had cemented the genre as a staple of entertainment. Television comedies like Seinfeld (1989-1998), Sex & The City (1998-2004), and Friends (1995-2005) were also well-received and reflected the changing character of the American citizenry from married suburbanites to single cosmopolitans.

The music during the Clinton presidency was likewise multifaceted, much appreciation was given to composers like John Adams, Wynton Marsalis, Joan Tower, and Philip Glass, together with major film composers like John Williams. Popular music, as usual, heading in new and unprecedented directions, the case of the Clinton years is largely seen as the rise in hip-hop into mainstream popularity together with a new generation of rock music that reflected the generation’s attitudes. Strong female artists also won great acclaim at this time including Fiona Apple, Mary J. Blige, Alanis Morissette, and Mariah Carey, while foreign artists like Björk, Sinéad O’Connor, Celine Dion, Spice Girls, and Shania Twain likewise entertained the populace with their innovative styles. Male artists that played an important role in this era were Kurt Cobain whose suicide in 1994 marked a devastating moment in the music industry, Tupac’s assassination in 1996 likewise caused immense mourning and in 1997, the deaths of Jeff Buckley and Notorious B.I.G also devastated many fans. Meanwhile, older artists like Michael Jackson, Prince, and Lenny Kravitz continued to be successful while towards the end of the era, Eminem rose in prominence. Musical theatre in this period was greatly inundated by adaptations from films and animations that not much of it is memorable apart from Rent which has endured due to its powerful commentary and snapshot of the New York of its day.

The literature of the time had also broke new grounds, writers like David Foster Wallace, Annie Proulx, and Jeffrey Eugenides published their iconic novels which aroused great commotion such as Eugenides’ The Virgin Suicides, Annie Proulx’s Brokeback Mountain, Chuck Palahniuk’s Fight Club, and Wallace’s Infinite Jest (1996). Among the realm of popular literature, the British series, Harry Potter by J.K Rowling, achieved great prosperity together with a variety of Japanese manga. Toni Morrison also won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1993, becoming the first black American woman to win this international distinction.

THE BUSH PRESIDENCY [2001-2009]

Without a doubt, the most remarkable domestic events of the Bush presidency were the attack on the World Trade Center by Al Qaeda in 2001 and the Great Recession in 2008. The important foreign affairs include the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the consolidation of the Eurozone, and the rise of Chinese industry together with that of Vladimir Putin in Russia. The arts in the Bush era can perhaps be the most transformative in American history in terms of media format. The beginning of this time saw television as the dominant format of popular entertainment and by the end of it, the smartphone, equipped with a touch screen and internet connection, had made its disruptive introduction.

For the majority of the Bush era, New York City was under the mayoralty of Michael Bloomberg, who governed the city from 2002 to 2013. This city was perhaps the one to change the most given its alarming circumstances and with it, came a mix of consequences for the arts. Much has been said about the Bush era and its appetite for raunchy comedy, a taste reflected both on Broadway and Hollywood. The musical Avenue Q being an example. The age was dominated by a hysterical taste for glamorous celebrities and ‘reality TV’, popular films were mostly adaptations and the rise of raunchy comedies achieved their peak in the latter half of the presidency with films such as The Hangover, Tropic Thunder, Step Brothers, etc… Cinematic co-productions with the British Commonwealth also became a defining element of this era, bringing in film series such as Harry Potter, The Chronicles of Narnia, Pirates of the Caribbean and The Lord of the Rings. Del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth from Mexico and Miyazaki’s Spirited Away from Japan. Tim Burton and Mel Gibson could also be said to have reached their peak in this decade, while Christopher Nolan, a British director, began his ascension with the U.S. market largely thanks to his Batman series. The large and enthusiastic appetite for superhero films could perhaps be accredited to the inspiration for patriotism that the Motion Picture Association encouraged since this was a time when many Americans were hopeful that the war against jihadis would prevail. The decade also saw further global integration and hence the large number of co-productions was something inevitable, the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2008 was a British film, Slumdog Millionaire, which takes place entirely in India.

The world of the visual arts made massive progress in this time largely thanks to the colossal globalization of the age, one important landmark being the opening of Art Basel in Miami Beach and the growth of Florida and Texas. One controversial artist who fired up the press was Jeff Koons whose kitsch sculptures reflected the appetite for nonsense and novelty earlier alluded to. On the other hand, the appreciation for academic art began to grow as a contrast to this taste as likewise did the fervor of religious zealotry which was courted and exploited by the new technologies that prevailed at the time. As the subject of global warming and climate change deepened in public discourse so did a variety of artists emphasize themes of nature, pollution, health, etc… the film Frida (2002) also served as a major promoter of the Mexican artist whose popularity skyrocketed. Many artists from Britain also found prominent appreciation in the US at this time including Lucian Freud, Damien Hirst, Banksy, Tracy Emin, and Anish Kapoor, who had his steel sculpture Cloud Gate (2006) installed in Millennium Park in Chicago where the inhabitants whimsically named it ‘The Bean’ due to its shape. Consequently with the rise of so prestigious a fair as Art Basel in Miami and the proliferation of other fairs throughout the country, the prestige of art schools remained relatively the same, hence while the market certainly grew, it was largely due to the purchasing of foreign works and works by artists of humble talent and education.

The case of music was especially interesting in Bush’s time. Operatic singers like Placido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, and Andrea Bocelli became quite prestigious in the US following their explosion in popularity in the previous decade. Jazz and electronic music also grew to more prominence. New female artists that got acclaim were Norah Jones, Gwen Stefani, Fergie, Alicia Keys, Beyonce, and Lady Gaga. Foreign artists likewise became more dominant with Rihanna being a prominent example but much like cinema, the proliferation of British artists was strong and included artists like Brian Eno, Gorillaz, Coldplay, and Amy Winehouse. Hip-hop likewise grew with Eminem, Usher, Nelly, Outcast, and Jay Z being dominant names. Green Day and Linkin Park, although very different, were prominent bands of the time. These artists, prominent during an age of nationalist prejudices, served both to distract the worried Americans and also deviate their attention to troubles at home. It would also be worthy to remark that Hispanic music also grew a wider market, this music being both produced by US-based artists like Daddy Yankee and those from Spanish American nations like Colombia, Mexico, Dominican Republic, etc… John Adams’ Transmigration of Souls (2003) became a well-received piece in this era, winning the Pulitzer Prize. Composers that likewise gained approbation were John Corigliano, Steve Reich, David Lang, and the Chinese-American composer Chen Yi, symbolizing a blend of the two nations.

A variety of books also fomented disputes in public sentiment during this time, three prominent examples being Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner (2003), Jodi Picoult’s My Sister’s Keeper (2004), Jonathan Safran Foer’s Incredibly Loud and Incredibly Close (2005), among others. The Twilight (2005-2008) series by Stephanie Meyer became incredibly popular with young people and towards the end of the Bush era, the publication of Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games (2008) took the country by storm. Much discourse was also present regarding child abuse, teen pregnancy, childhood obesity, and other such delicate topics. In many ways, the arts of this time heavily questioned the authority of parents and teachers which, in the wake of the 9/11 attack, two major wars, and school violence, led to a radical split in how the young generations should be brought up, with some going in one direction and some in another one. In short, much of the previous taboo topics became more open for criticism, bringing us to the next era. Gregory Maguire’s book Wicked (1995) likewise grew in popularity after being adapted into a musical in 2003 by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman.

THE OBAMA PRESIDENCY [2009-2017]

The Obama presidency has been in recent times been viewed as a threshold for the new America that would emerge after the Great Recession, one dominated by internet entertainment, social media communication, and culture wars. Indeed it was that this age was marked by the establishment of the smartphone as the omnipotent tool known today, the decline of cable television was inevitable as Netflix and other streaming platforms gained ascendancy, and print media lost the great importance it held for countless decades as a giddy appetite for all things digital took hold. The wars in the Islamic world intensified, leading to interventions in Libya, Syria, and the formidable ISIS caliphate which swallowed much of Iraq and Syria. Putin, having ruled Russia for over ten years, annexed the Crimean Peninsula, while Europe suffered from extreme turmoils and debt, leading to Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union.

Obama inherited a new digitalized country with analog technology being practically eroded completely in the Bush era. The entertainment companies that were involved in the recession suffered greatly but likewise were able to take advantage of the dire circumstances to further their interests. One such was Disney, headed by Bob Iger, which acquired Marvel Studios in 2009 and Lucasfilm in 2012, controlling much of what is served to the multitude as their popular entertainment. Its two main rivals, Warner Bros and Universal, in order to compete, distributed derivative films with secure fandoms. Disney, having a great store of intellectual property at its disposal, focused on those well-known stories and characters that win the public’s affection, and consequently, most films at the box office were derivatives, but this prerogative was largely done not only to secure the domestic box office but also the foreign one which, in this time, had acquired so vast an authority over Hollywood, that it was important to appeal to its pretensions and tastes.

Nolan, who won admiration for his two Batman films in the Bush era, made a third one and also his film Inception (2011) which likewise won great acclaim. Richard Linklater’s Boyhood (2014), Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight (2016), Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave (2013), and the Coen Brothers’ Inside Llewyn Davis (2013) also won enormous approbation for their portrayals. An original epic experimental film, The Tree of Life (2011) by Terence Malick won the Palme d’Or at Cannes, the first original American screenplay to win since Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction. The era became likewise known for series such as House of Cards (2013-2018), Breaking Bad (2008-2013), and Game of Thrones (2011-2019), while Japanese anime continued to make enormous progress and dominate the younger generations’ taste in entertainment. This being the case in other American nations as well as Europe.

The music of the Obama era also shows an interesting hybridization between the various genres and tastes that the American people have been consuming in those times. But more important was the music industry which suffered an overwhelming loss of physical records as digital streaming became practically absolute. This shift, momentous as it was, pivoted artists to perform live and so a variety of music festivals began a process of enlargement which grossly saturated the stage and inflated ticket prices. The popular female musicians of this time were Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Lady Antebellum who mixed the pop aesthetic with the country one, together with Taylor Swift, who became something of America’s darling in her career. Other examples are Lana Del Rey and Miley Cyrus, who brought a distinct Americana flavor to their music. The foreign artists who gained credit and applause were Adele, Lorde, Iggy Azalea, and Ed Sheeran, among others from the British Commonwealth. France’s Daft Punk reached the peak of their fame at this time with their 2013 album. Male American artists that had achieved their prosperity during the Obama presidency were Frank Ocean, Bon Iver, Mumford & Sons, Kanye West, Bruno Mars, and Imagine Dragons. The sudden deaths too of Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston at this time served as a cause for mourning. Notwithstanding the glory these musicians had, the expansion of YouTube, Spotify, SoundCloud, and other music platforms together with the decline of purchasing physical CDs, led many worldwide to pursue their own research in music where a variety of independent artists were able to publish their material for exposure and sale, thus breaking that decades-old distribution monopoly that kept a firm hold on supply chains.

Kamasi Washington also won great acclaim for his jazz record, The Epic (2016), and in the classical world, the work Become Ocean (2013) by John Luther Adams won immense praise for its impressive orchestration. Not to be confused with John Adams who likewise was praised for his The Gospel According to the Other Mary (2012). Other important composers included Caroline Shaw, Jake Heggie, and Julia Wolfe, among others. It must also be remarked that this time had reached such affable politeness in comparison to the other presidencies that many Canadians, Europeans, and Asians, finding these proceedings to be pleasant and agreeable, made many collaborations and tours of the United States.

One musical that gained popularity was Hamilton (2015) which had as its protagonist the federalist politician so beloved by American institutions, while one that ignited ferocious publicity was The Book of Mormon (2011) by the creators of South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, it was indeed a common characteristic to mock this religion among others at this time, the popularity of the so-called “New Atheists” like Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett, Christopher Hitchens and its most famous member, Richard Dawkins, was part of an ongoing culture war that made the Obama years very tempestuous with factions regarding older traditions. One such interesting development in the art world was Kehinde Wiley’s portrait of the president which was scolded by conservatives as untraditional while Serbian artist, Marina Abramovic, likewise caused a stir in the art world with her bold avant-garde performances yet had many partisans in the US together with Ai Weiwei who was arrested in China. Obama had likewise honored artists Ann Hamilton, James Turrell, Ellsworth Kelly, Milton Glaser, Maya Lin, among many others with various government honors and medals.

Much of the controversial literature at this time was regarding sexuality, LGBT themes, and transgender politics, together with state surveillance, school shootings, immigration, and a surge of conspiracy theories which aroused immense fury among the multitude. Novels that defined the age were Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl (2012), Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah (2013), among others. Such topics that were more sensitive in the Clinton and Bush eras became more discussed and brought to light. Ultimately, the rejection of Hillary Clinton by the electorates in 2016 showed that a substantial power base in the country preferred the unconventional candidate, Donald Trump, leading to his election and presidency.

THE FIRST TRUMP PRESIDENCY [2017-2021]

The arts during the first Trump presidency was one requiring great inspection for it carried within it the obstinate attitude of both his supporters and opponents that made up the four years of his first presidency. Foreign affairs were not as eagerly looked at in these years with the major exception of ties with Russia’s Vladimir Putin and in 2020 when the Coronavirus pandemic spread throughout the world. Domestic affairs, the appointments of judges, lawsuits, hush money to porn stars, court cases, leaked secrets, and other political scandals were the everyday scene of this era. In the first year, 2017, Disney completed its purchase of FOX, reaching the absolute peak of its authority in the entertainment industry and continuing to release more derivative films of previously profitable franchises.

2017 also was the year in which Harvey Weinstein was disgraced for his odious sexual abuse together with many other professionals in the industry in what became known as the #MeToo movement. While this movement certainly could have happened under Obama, the election of Trump served as a final straw that led to a domino effect in the industry. It is an interesting observation that major box office comedy films declined completely in this era, a trend that began in Obama’s time and was all but gone in the Trump era. Hollywood, either to minimize its risks of public backlash over politically incorrect content or simply because comedies were not as lucrative as family and action films at the global box office, largely stopped major distributions of comedy. Much of this genre had pivoted to social media platforms like YouTube in the Obama era and continued in the first Trump era in other platforms. This being said, many strong films were released at this time including Del Toro’s The Shape of Water (2017), Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird (2017), Vice (2018), Joker (2019), while co-productions like Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019), Dunkirk (2017), and JoJo Rabbit (2019) made great success together with foreign films like Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite (2019).

The theatre was quite lively, especially in New York and Washington DC, two cities most vigorously opposed to the president and his supporters. Countless satire was drummed up against Trump and little attention was paid to much else. Tensions with China and Russia likewise brought in a spirit of animosity toward those nations, one exception being the introduction of TikTok, a Chinese entertainment app specializing in short audio-visual content, that skyrocketed in popularity towards the end of this period. Moreover, the art market, so inflated by the previous eras of globalization, had reached a point of enormous saturation and was greatly influenced by foreign investors. While the American market did indeed triumph over those of other nations, the great sales that took place largely involved foreign money or those with strong connections to it. The nations of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Israel, Qatar, Hong Kong, South Korea, and China played a major role as foreign investors in American properties and companies.

While the music industry was largely weakened by the facility of internet distribution, this did not prevent any major stars from arising, the rapper, Kendrick Lamar, achieved astounding approbation in 2018 when he won the Pulitzer Prize for his alum, DAMN. In fact, hip-hop had become so established at this time that it was achieving numerous ceremonies by state officials and acclamations by national institutions. Korean popular music also greatly expanded in this time together with Hispanic music, particularly the songs of Bad Bunny, while older artists like Shakira and Pitbull won more credit and legitimacy. Foreign artists like Adele continued to be appreciated but declined towards the latter half of the era. Much nationalism, whether covert or overt occurred at this time. The Democrats, opposed to Trump, sought to rebuke his gross mannerisms by appealing to polite society and a sense of national decency which led some to embrace a more centrist approach and others toward a more radical approach. Political songs and politicized content became quite common, the Grammy’s Record of the Year for the year 2018 went to Childish Gambino’s This is America, a song very much in the fashion of social justice. Apart from these fomentations, the advancement that niche genres have made was strong. Despite the sense of national duty, a great deal of the populace embraced Korean, French, Hispanic, and Japanese music, to say nothing of the colossal number of artists from the Commonwealth nations like New Zealand, Australia, Canada, etc…. which can appeal to an English-speaking populace. The community of classical music also lauded strong female composers which were unprecedented such as Ellen Reid, Kate Soper, and Ashley Fure, the great advancements made by Caroline Shaw and Julia Wolf being all the more consecrated for their strong talents.

This age can perhaps be said to see a revival of Christian enthusiasm and many famous artists like Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Kanye West, etc… began to publicly show support of faith in that religion together with a sense of brotherhood towards Muslims and Jews, two groups which gained more attention at this time due to foreign conflicts. While the New Atheists like Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris certainly were strong in the early Obama years, they were berated as conservatives by their rivals due to their reservations against women. Such it was that while the first Trump era is known for its crass and vulgar sexism, it likewise received rigid opposition from its rivals.

The literature of this time likewise reflected this intense spirit of polarization, with one particular incendiary topic being women’s rights of which the Canadian novel, The Handmaid’s Tale (1985) was turned into a series. Two American novels of this time that received critical praise were Ottessa Moshfegh’s My Year of Rest and Relaxation (2018) and Ta-Nehisi Coates’ The Water Dancer (2019). Much like independent music and cinema, the influx of foreign works was also quite strong, The HandMaid’s Tale becoming popular due to its adaptation as a televised series together with works by other English-speaking nations. Louise Glück also won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2020.

The era is difficult to describe fully without mentioning the 2020 pandemic which caused a major disruption of commercial intercourse and damaged several industries requiring live attendance. This pandemic brought in a quarantine that lasted for many months and accelerated the power of online communication and publications. Many artists, unable to perform or exhibit their works, had recourse to the social networks that had become established in the past decade. The presidential election of that year was perhaps one of the most unique in the country’s history, it was contested by Trump when Biden won and after many protests and wreckage, Biden was sworn in.

THE BIDEN PRESIDENCY [2021-2025]

The Biden presidency was in between the two Trump presidencies, it served as a sort of weak version of that of Obama yet it also included the end of the Coronavirus pandemic and the return to normality which allowed the arts to flourish in public spaces once again. The foreign wars in Afghanistan and Iraq had been greatly diminished and peace agreements were signed leading to a withdrawal of troops. Notwithstanding these conclusions, the invasion of Ukraine by Russia and the war between Hamas and the state of Israel evoked furious responses from the American people with factions opposing Israel for its high civilian casualties in Gaza and those opposing Ukraine in favor of emboldening ties with Moscow in opposition to China. The Biden presidency also saw the revocation of Roe v Wade and after half a century of federalized abortion laws, the states once again returned to legislating their own abortion laws, with some banning it completely. Misguided in its early years and paralyzed by the 2022 Midterm elections, the Biden presidency is generally known for being a Democrat failure in between the two Trump administrations. Yet the arts during this time had achieved numerous aims, Biden attempted to return the nation to a multilateralist system.

The age was dominated by the leap in generative AI, a tool that consolidates images, videos, and other media as a source for generating artificially intelligent versions of it. While this started with images it eventually moved to video and became a popular novelty among the multitude but likewise as a tool in certain artworks and cinematic effects. Much like the previous eras, the popular films were mostly derivatives and catered towards a secure global clientele. 2023 saw Gerwig’s Barbie and Nolan’s Oppenheimer reach incredible popularity yet also a rage-filled reception as is usual with innovative works catered to a wide audience. Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022) and Anora (2024) were widely acclaimed, with the latter premiering in Cannes and winning the Palme d’Or. Cate Blanchett, Emma Stone, Brendan Fraser, and Adrien Brody also delivered strong performances in their respective films. The city of Austin hosting the SXSW festival had grown as a major center of film and music production while Miami had likewise grown due to a flux of transplants from other states. This change, no doubt, affected the balance of wealth and population in the United States with Florida surpassing New York in population and therefore electoral points. Co-productions were still quite strong and many in the Commonwealth, being more favorable to the Democrats than Republicans, sought their fortunes in the US market, the previously mentioned film, Oppenheimer (2023), despite depicting Americans had, for the most part, an Irish and British cast playing the principal characters. Popular music was also quite disposed to the UK at this time with Charli XCX becoming a major star and openly supporting Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.

While American artists like Billie Eilish, Doja Cat, Olivia Rodrigo, Chappell Roan, and Sabrina Carpenter were favored as newer artists. New male artists didn’t make much of a splash in this era but older Commonwealth artists like The Weeknd, Ed Sheeran, and Drake, among others continued their strong hold on popular music. On the other hand, the establishment of independent media networks allowed greater discourse and publications fostering many niche fanbases and communities throughout the nation. Korean and Japanese entertainment continued to be strong among the younger generations. The smartphone, becoming a common established tool, had also been the source of much entertainment that became popular. The prominence of short vertical videos grew to such a height that many scientists and medical professionals began to be concerned for the safety of young minds due to the addictive nature of this popular amusement. The content of these videos was also the source for many niche songs expanding in popularity, allowing the music of niche independent artists and foreign musicians to gain wider recognition.

In classical circles, the growing sectors of Texas and Florida had attracted musicians to their venues, these two states, having been under the Spanish dominion and neighboring Hispanic nations, greatly showcased their affluence in this department. The whole US likewise experimented with it and works by Felipe Lara and Tania Léon competed for the Pulitzer Prize, while the opera Omar (2022) by Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels won great approbation.

This strong wave of digitalization, prominent since the quarantine period of the pandemic affected the visual arts as well and digital artworks with unique certificates began to be sold via cryptocurrencies in the market. One such prominent artist was Beeple whose digital works satirize the frivolity of consumer society. Many museums also opened up to foreign artists such as Bridget Riley, Salman Toor, Ugo Rondinone, Anselm Kiefer, Pawel Althamer, etc…. yet the strength of daring American artists also prevailed, the Biden presidency awarded Antonio Martorell, Alex Katz, Ruth Asawa, Carrie Mae Weems, and Judy Baca with the medal of the arts. The Biden era was also more surprisingly lax with nudity, drugs, and other types of social disputes, catering more towards women’s rights especially since this was a major contention with the conservative faction. Two issues that drove political tensions at this time were the rapid cost of living due to inflation and the wars overseas that consumed much of the taxpayer money.

The literature of the age focused on inward problems, likewise touching on older themes of solidarity and grievances, it would perhaps be more suitable to mention the non-fiction that succeeded in this time, many of which focused on the radicalization of youth, the Black Lives Matter movement, and trying to right the wrongs of the previous Trump age, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, among some identitarian topics that always cause great commotion. Popular literature included the appreciation of Suzanne Collins’ The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2020) which was quickly adapted into a film in 2023. Colleen Hoover likewise gained more popularity for her novels at this time as did a number of foreign writers from both the English and Spanish-speaking world.

CONCLUSION

Such is this brief summary of the history and progress of the arts in the United States from the Clinton to the Biden presidency or from 1993 to early 2025. While this summary may offend the connoisseurs who charge me for excluding certain artists or key important events, I would like to excuse myself on the grounds that so large an enterprise is not the objective of this work and that future revisions are certainly possible. Moreover, on the grounds that this brief summary only serves as a small introduction to this important period and not as an authoritative work in and of itself. This period contains much information and countless detailed events that would exceed the repose the average reader dedicates for one sitting.

Since no massive undertaking has yet been taken to discuss at length the history of the various arts of these past decades, I have taken this opportunity to write a brief summary of it in hopes of inspiring those more ambitious and worthy than myself to such an enterprise.