National Endowment for the Arts to Webcast National Council on the Arts Meeting Friday, June 24, 2011 at 9:00 a.m.

http://www.arts.gov/news/news11/NCA-June-2011.html

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 21, 2011

Contact: NEA Public Affairs, 202-682-5570

National Endowment for the Arts to Webcast National Council on the Arts Meeting Friday, June 24, 2011 at 9:00 a.m.

Presentations will include the announcement of the 2011 NEA Lifetime Honors,
an update on Blue Star Museums, and examples of creative placemaking at work

Washington, DC —The 173rd meeting of the National Council on the Arts, the advisory body to the National Endowment for the Arts, will take place on Friday, June 24, 2011 from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. EDT in room M-09 of The Nancy Hanks Center, 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC. The public is invited to attend in person or to watch a live webcast at arts.gov.

The session will begin with the announcement of the recipients of the NEA's three lifetime honors programs: NEA Jazz Master Fellowships, NEA National Heritage Fellowships, and the NEA Opera Honors. Eighteen artists will receive a total of $450,000 in recognition of their significant contributions to their respective fields.

Lastly, the meeting will explore examples of creative placemaking at work. Presentations will be made by Cedric B. Glover, mayor of Shreveport, Louisiana; Christine Harris, consulting advisor for Creative Alliance Milwaukee and president of Christine Harris Connections; and environmental artist Lorna Jordan.

The meeting will continue with an update on Blue Star Museums by Michael Harasimowicz, Vice Wing Commander of the 70 Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing at Maryland’s Fort Meade. Blue Star Museums is a partnership among Blue Star Families, the National Endowment for the Arts, and more than 1,000 museums across America to offer free admission to all active duty military personnel and their families from Memorial Day through Labor Day 2011.

About the National Council on the Arts

The National Council on the Arts is convened three times per year to vote on funding recommendations for grants and rejections; to advise the Chairman on application guidelines, the budget, and policy and planning directions; and to recommend to the President nominees for the National Medal of Arts. Including the Chairman, there are 14 members—James Ballinger, Miguel Campaneria, Ben Donenberg, JoAnn Falletta, Lee Greenwood, Joan Israelite, Charlotte Kessler, Bret Lott, Irvin Mayfield, Stephen Porter, Barbara Ernst Prey, Frank Price, Terry Teachout, and Karen Wolff; and six ex-officio members from Congress—Senators Claire McCaskill (D-MO) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Congressman Patrick J. Tiberi (R-OH). Appointment by Majority and Minority leadership of the remaining Members of Congress to the Council is pending. More information about the National Council on the Arts and its members can be found at arts.gov.

About the National Endowment for the Arts

The National Endowment for the Arts was established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. To date, the NEA has awarded more than $4 billion to support artistic excellence, creativity, and innovation for the benefit of individuals and communities. The NEA extends its work through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector. To join the discussion on how art works, visit the NEA at arts.gov.

# # #