National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Jane Chu to Visit Pittsfield, Massachusetts, June 23, 2017
Washington, DC –Jane Chu, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), will visit Pittsfield, Massachusetts on Friday, June 23, 2017, where she will tour a number of nonprofit arts organizations funded by the federal arts agency and have a discussion with the local arts community.
Chairman Chu will begin her trip at the Barrington Stage Company, to meet with staff and tour the new Wolfson Center facility, Boyd-Quinson mainstage, and the Sydelle and Lee Blatt Performing Arts Center. In FY 2016, the Barrington Stage Company received a $10,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to support the premiere of American Son by Christopher Demos-Brown.
Next, Chairman Chu will meet with the Office of Cultural Development in Pittsfield. This visit will begin with a tour of one of the Mastheads studios that will be part of their upcoming writers-in-residence project, The Mastheads (In Motion: Pittsfield), five mobile writers’ studios installation in Pittsfield. In FY 2014, the Office of Cultural Development received a $75,000 NEA Our Town grant to support the pop-up writers' studios and the inauguration of a new writers’ residency program in the city.
Following this, Chairman Chu will tour the Lichtenstein Center for the Arts, a city-owned art gallery with nine artist studios and a pottery studio. As part of this visit, Chairman Chu will also learn more about the Massachusetts Cultural Council designated Upstreet Cultural District in Downtown Pittsfield and participate in a roundtable discussion with the Office of Cultural Development and their partners about the arts community in Pittsfield.
The following events are open to the media but media who wish to attend must RSVP in advance to Judith Kargbo at kargboj@arts.gov.
Friday, June 23, 2017 9:30AM- 10:30AM Site visit with Barrington Stage Company Location: This visit will begin at the Wolfson Center facility - 122 North Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201- 9:30AM Tour the Boyd- Quinson Mainstage - 30 Union Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201- 10:00AM Tour the Sydelle and Lee Blatt Performing Arts Center - 36 Linden Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201- 10:15AM Participants: Jane Chu, chairman, National Endowment for the Arts Anita Walker, executive director, Massachusetts Cultural Council Julianne (Julie) Boyd, artistic director, Barrington Stage Company Ashley Pirsig, director of Advancement, Barrington Stage Company State Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier, D- Pittsfield, Massachusetts State Legislature
10:35PM – 12:00PM Site visit with the Office of Cultural Development, City of Pittsfield Location: Site visit will begin at Lichtenstein Center for the Arts—Renne Ave, Pittsfield, MA 01201 Participants: Jane Chu, chairman, National Endowment for the Arts Anita Walker, executive director, Massachusetts Cultural Council Mayor Linda Tyer, City of Pittsfield Jen Glockner, director, Office of Cultural Development, City of Pittsfield Tessa Kelly, architect, co-founder, Mastheads Writers Residency Chris Parkinson, architect, co-founder, Mastheads Writers Residency Kate Maguire, artistic director and CEO, Berkshire Theatre Group Kelsey Matherne, grants manager, Berkshire Theatre Group Jennifer Trainer Thompson, president & CEO, Hancock Shaker Village Tracy Wilson, director, Berkshire Music School Ashley Pirsig, director of advancement, Barrington Stage Company Regina Burgio, board member, Alchemy Initiative CJ Hoss, City Planner, City of Pittsfield Charles Kaminski, Berkshire Historical Society at Arrowhead Board Member
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. Visit arts.gov to learn more about NEA. # # #
Friday, June 23, 2017 9:30AM- 10:30AM Site visit with Barrington Stage Company Location: This visit will begin at the Wolfson Center facility - 122 North Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201- 9:30AM Tour the Boyd- Quinson Mainstage - 30 Union Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201- 10:00AM Tour the Sydelle and Lee Blatt Performing Arts Center - 36 Linden Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201- 10:15AM Participants: Jane Chu, chairman, National Endowment for the Arts Anita Walker, executive director, Massachusetts Cultural Council Julianne (Julie) Boyd, artistic director, Barrington Stage Company Ashley Pirsig, director of Advancement, Barrington Stage Company State Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier, D- Pittsfield, Massachusetts State Legislature
10:35PM – 12:00PM Site visit with the Office of Cultural Development, City of Pittsfield Location: Site visit will begin at Lichtenstein Center for the Arts—Renne Ave, Pittsfield, MA 01201 Participants: Jane Chu, chairman, National Endowment for the Arts Anita Walker, executive director, Massachusetts Cultural Council Mayor Linda Tyer, City of Pittsfield Jen Glockner, director, Office of Cultural Development, City of Pittsfield Tessa Kelly, architect, co-founder, Mastheads Writers Residency Chris Parkinson, architect, co-founder, Mastheads Writers Residency Kate Maguire, artistic director and CEO, Berkshire Theatre Group Kelsey Matherne, grants manager, Berkshire Theatre Group Jennifer Trainer Thompson, president & CEO, Hancock Shaker Village Tracy Wilson, director, Berkshire Music School Ashley Pirsig, director of advancement, Barrington Stage Company Regina Burgio, board member, Alchemy Initiative CJ Hoss, City Planner, City of Pittsfield Charles Kaminski, Berkshire Historical Society at Arrowhead Board Member
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. Visit arts.gov to learn more about NEA. # # #
Contact
Judith Kargbo, NEA Public Affairs, kargboj@arts.gov, (202) 682-5744
