About the cover
Jazz Lives by Debra Hurd. Debra Hurd is a visual artist and musician living
in Austin, Texas. She has been acclaimed for her vivid city scenes and her
passionate and perceptive depictions of musicians, using dramatic color and
texture. Hurd is also an accomplished pianist,
recording and playing live in Austin.
About this Issue
Creating a performance work may start behind closed doors, but eventually
the dancer, the musician, the actor is ready to leave the studio for the stage to
present the finished work to an audience. Presenting the performance is an art
in itself—from programming seasons to building audiences to making spaces
that are welcoming for both artists and audiences. So the interaction between
presenters and artists is crucial to the success of both. This issue of NEA Arts
highlights what it takes to make art happen in public and features the NEA
Jazz Masters Fellowships, which celebrate not only master performing artists
but also, through the A.B. Spellman Award for Jazz Advocacy, those who are
masters at creating environments—both literally and metaphorically—in which
jazz can flourish.
A special web feature can be found at www.arts.gov on Teatro Avante’s
experience performing overseas through the NEA’s USArtists International
program, produced in partnership with Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation.
