Washington, DC – On October 6, 2016, Jane Chu, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), will travel to Laramie, Wyoming, where she will visit organizations that are actively engaging, serving, and promoting the arts. Chairman Chu will visit University of Wyoming Art Museum and meet with students in its Department of Theater and Dance. She will also tour the Laramie Mural Project and meet with members of the Laramie Public Art Coalition. Chairman Chu concludes her visit by participating in a Town Hall, hosted by the Wyoming Arts Council, and attended by members of the Wyoming arts community.   On October 6, Chairman Chu will visit University of Wyoming Art Museum to tour the exhibition Waste Land: A Survey of Works by Brandon Ballengée, 1996 – 2016, which is supported by the NEA. The exhibition includes works inspired by the artist's experiences bridging art and science while engaging with the environment. Next, Chairman Chu will tour the Laramie Mural project. In 2013, the city of Laramie received an NEA Our Town grant to support the creation of a public art plan for Laramie. Following the tour, she will meet with members of the Laramie Public Art Coalition about their ongoing work with this plan. Chairman Chu will be available for short one-on-one media interviews following this site visit. Media should send their request in advance to Judith Kargbo, kargboj@arts.gov. That afternoon, Chairman Chu will meet with members of the University of Wyoming Department of Theater and Dance about the vertical dance program. Vertical dance suspends dancers off the ground on a range of vertical surfaces, typically using rock climbing equipment. It takes place in a variety of locations, from theaters and their foyers to the outside of buildings and rock faces. That evening, Chairman Chu will participate in a Town Hall, hosted by the Wyoming Arts Council, in the Gryphon Theater at the Laramie Plains Civic Center. This event is open to the public. At the Town Hall, Chairman Chu will speak about the NEA’s 50^th anniversary and take questions from the audience, giving her an opportunity to learn more about how the arts play an important role in Wyoming’s arts community. Media who wish to attend this event should contact Colin Stricklin with the Wyoming Arts Council at colin.stricklin1@wyo.gov. Prior to the Town Hall, Chairman Chu is available for short one-on-one media interviews. Media should send their request in advance to Judith Kargbo, kargboj@arts.gov. As part of the National Endowment for the Arts’ 50th anniversary celebration, the NEA created a story bank of multimedia content to showcase the impact of the arts. To date, hundreds of people from across the country, including Wyoming, have submitted stories about how the arts and the National Endowment for the Arts have impacted their lives. In addition to a video about the arts and culture of Wyoming, this section also includes a video from Wyoming Representative Cynthia Lummis. The following events are closed to the public, except where noted, but open to media. Media should contact Judith Kargbo at kargboj@arts.gov if they would like to attend any of the site visits or request an interview with Chairman Chu.                                 Thursday, October 6, 2016 9:00AM- 9:55AM  Tour of University of Wyoming Art Museum Location: 2111 Willet Drive, Laramie, WY 82072 Participants:                       Jane Chu, chairman, National Endowment for the Arts Michael Lange, executive director, Wyoming Arts Council Janelle Fletcher, board chair, Wyoming Arts Council  Susan Moldenhauer, director and chief curator, University of Wyoming Art Museum

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10:00AM- 11:30AM   Laramie Mural Project tour and discussion with Laramie Public Art Coalition  Location: Tour will begin at Laramie Main Street Alliance, 207 Grand Avenue, Laramie, WY 82070 Participants:                       Jane Chu, chairman, National Endowment for the Arts Michael Lange, executive director, Wyoming Arts Council Janelle Fletcher, board chair, Wyoming Arts Council  Trey Sherwood, executive director, Laramie Main Street Members of the Laramie Public Art Coalition

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11:30–11:45AM  Media availability with NEA Chairman Jane Chu Location: 1st street plaza, corner of First Street and Grand Avenue, Laramie, WY 82070

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2:00PM- 3:00PM  Site visit with University of Wyoming Department of Theater and Dance about vertical dance program Location:  Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts, 1000 E University Ave, Laramie, WY 82071 Participants:                       Jane Chu, chairman, National Endowment for the Arts Michael Lange, executive director, Wyoming Arts Council Janelle Fletcher, board chair, Wyoming Arts Council  Margaret Wilson, professor of dance, University of Wyoming University of Wyoming Theater and Dance Students

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5:30PM -5:45AM  Media availability with NEA Chairman Jane Chu Location: Gryphon Theater at Laramie Plains Civic Center, 710 E Garfield St, Laramie, WY 82070

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6:00PM- 7:00PM  Town Hall (open to the public) Location: Gryphon Theater at Laramie Plains Civic Center, 710 E Garfield St, Laramie, WY 82070 Participants:                       Jane Chu, chairman, National Endowment for the Arts Michael Lange, executive director, Wyoming Arts Council About the National Endowment for the Arts Established by Congress in 1965, the NEA is the independent federal agency whose funding and support gives Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts, exercise their imaginations, and develop their creative capacities. Through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector, the NEA supports arts learning, affirms and celebrates America’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, and extends its work to promote equal access to the arts in every community across America. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the National Endowment for the Arts and the agency is celebrating this milestone with events and activities through September 2016.

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United States of Arts: Wyoming