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Statement of Dana Gioia, Chairman, National Endowment for the ArtsThe National Endowment for the Arts expresses its deepest concern and most heartfelt sympathies for the people of Louisiana, Florida, Mississippi, and Alabama as well as neighboring states affected by Hurricane Katrina. We send our thoughts, prayers, and wishes to all those impacted by this disaster. We will respond with appropriate help for the cultural agencies in the area once the situation becomes stabilized. We will try to do so quickly and fairly. The NEA has experience responding to national emergencies, most notably in New York City after September 11, 2001, but also after the recent hurricanes in Texas and Florida. The NEA is working now with state and local arts agencies in the affected states to develop a relief plan. As the agency’s eyes and ears, our colleagues at these agencies will be able to tell us what kind of assistance is most needed and where, so we are able to respond most appropriately. In the meantime, the NEA has made available a booklet entitled “Before and After Disasters.” Created by the NEA, FEMA and Heritage Preservation, it is a guide to federal resources for disaster relief. The booklet will be published at the end of this month but is currently available on the NEA web site at http://www.heritagepreservation.org/PROGRAMS/TFHurricaneRes.HTM This page will be updated as we gather more information about what has happened and how the NEA is able to help.
National Endowment for the Arts · an independent federal agency |