Chairman Rocco Landesman Releases The Schedule For His Visit To Shreveport, Louisiana, On March 10, 2011

Washington, DC -- NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman will visit Shreveport, Louisiana, on Thursday, March 10, 2011 at the invitation of the Shreveport Regional Arts Council (SRAC). Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne and Shreveport Mayor Cedric B. Glover will both participate in the visit. Chairman Landesman will be in Shreveport to highlight NEA's Mayors' Institute on City Design 25th (MICD 25) anniversary grant to redevelop the city's landmark 1922 Central Fire Station into an arts center and headquarters for the Shreveport Regional Arts Council, which lost its headquarters in a 2009 arson fire. The Central Fire Station will also serve as an anchor for the surrounding Shreveport Common, a new arts district and gateway to the city. Events will include a tour of the Shreveport Common area, a press conference, a panel discussion, and a tour of the Municipal Auditorium. Last July, the NEA announced a grant of $100,000 to the SRAC to support the redevelopment of the Central Fire Station and Shreveport Common area. The Shreveport grant is one of 21 grants to communities across the country through the NEA's MICD 25 program, which helps create more liveable, sustainable communities through the arts. The MICD 25 grant to Shreveport will support the redesign of the Central Fire Station, the development of a master plan for the neighborhood's revitalization; an outdoor arts festival; a call for artists to design public art and signage for the area; and walking and podcast tours for community members. Today's press conference will also announce a grant from the Educational Foundation of America to help complete Phase I of the Shreveport Common revitalization project.   The day's events are: 9:50 am – 10:20 am – Depart from Hilton Hotel, 104 Market St., Shreveport, LA, for a Green Trolley tour of plans for the Shreveport Common area. 10:40 am – 11:10 am – Press Conference, Strand Theatre, 619 Louisiana Ave. Speakers include Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne; Mayor Cedric Glover; Sandi Kallenberg, Chairman, and Pam Atchison, Executive Director of the Shreveport Regional Arts Council; NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman; and Heidi Ettinger, Chairman, Educational Foundation of America. 11:10 am – 12:15 pm – Panel Discussion, Strand Theatre. Moderated by Jim Montgomery, former editor of The Shreveport Journal. Panelists include all press conference speakers along with William Joyce, co-owner, Moonbot Studios, and Sarah Brown of Educational Foundation of America. 2:30 pm – 2:45 pm – Tour of the historic Shreveport Municipal Auditorium, 705 Elvis Presley Ave., with "Louisiana Hayride" radio show announcer Frank Page and musician James Burton. Burton was a guitarist for Elvis Presley, and Page is known as "The Man Who Introduced Elvis to the World on October 16th, 1954." CONTACT:  Media who would like to attend these events must RSVP to the NEA's Public Affairs Office at 202-682-5570. 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.  For more information on the National Endowment for the Arts, please go to arts.gov

Contact

NEA Public Affairs 202-682-5570