Wealthy patronage has always steered art, and the CIA has a lot of money.

The CIA hires "actual" artists, all the time and in great numbers. They have a creative writing division.

If you watch YouTube interviews/documentaries about the CIA, one of the things that all of them point out is the disguise division, which makes some fascinating facemasks and other disguises.

More incredible to believe the most powerful clandestine agency in the world wouldn't want to hold sway over artistic movements to their own end.

And the CIA actually had rather good taste

Or they do bend public opinion on what "good taste" is

Wait til you find out what the GIA[1] did with other forms of cultural expression and education - like motion pictures, music, television, and academia

[1]: Global Intelligence Agency - because we know that they have deep reach into every nation at this point and are only accountable to themselves.

Are you referring to the way they always have to portray the American army as the heroic winners of every war?

Yes!