Washington, DC -- NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman will visit Hamilton, Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland, Ohio, September 16-20, 2011. In each city, Chairman Landesman will learn about the efforts to use the arts to create vibrant, livable communities. In Hamilton and Cincinnati, his hosts will include Artspace Projects, Inc. and ArtWorks; in Columbus, his host is National Council on the Arts member Charlotte Kessler; and in Cleveland his hosts are the George Gund Foundation, Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, and the Community Partnership for Arts and Culture. Friday, September 16: Hamilton/Cincinnati

9:00 am – 10:00 am		Tour and Meeting with Artspace Projects, Inc. about plans to create the Artspace Hamilton Lofts. This project is the recipient of an NEA Our Town grant.         Participants: NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman, Hamilton Mayor Pat Moeller, Hamilton Vice Mayor Rob Wile,Executive Director of the Fitton Center for Creative Arts Rick Jones, Artspace Project Manager Andrew Commers, civic leaders, and project leaders. Location: Fitton Center for Creative Arts, 101 S. Monument Avenue, 3rd floor ballroom, Hamilton, Ohio
11:00 am - 12:00 pm		Meeting with ArtWorks about SpringBoard, its new business planning and development program for artists, artisans, and creative entrepreneurs targeting sustainability in small business.         Participants: NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman, Director of ArtWorks Tamara Harkavy, and project leaders Location: 20 E. Central Parkway, Cincinnati, Ohio
1:30 pm – 3:00 pm		Remarks at Walnut Hills High School's Performing Arts Fund Dedication Event.         Location: 3250 Victory Parkway, Cincinnati, Ohio

Monday, September 19: Columbus

11:30 am –  1:30 pm		Briefing and Tour of Greater Columbus Arts Council's Public Art 2012 project. This project is the recipient of an NEA Our Town grant.         Participants: Congressman Pat Tiberi (Congressman Tiberi has been a member of the National Council on the Arts since 2005), NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman, National Council on the Arts member Charlotte Kessler, Greater Columbus Arts Council President Milt Baughman, arts and civic leaders, and project leaders. Location: 100 E. Broad St., Suite 2250, Columbus, Ohio
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm		Panel discussion -- "A Way Forward: Arts and Economic Development." Free and open to the public.         Panel members: NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman, Mayor Michael B. Coleman, Chairman & CEO of Limited Brands Leslie H. Wexner, President & CEO of The Columbus Foundation Douglas F. Kridler. Location: Mershon Auditorium, Wexner Center for the Arts, 1871 North High Street

Tuesday, September 20: Cleveland

8:30 am - 9:45 am		Breakfast in Gordon Square Arts District         Participants: NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman, George Gund Foundation Executive Director Dave Abbott, Cuyahoga County Executive Ed Fitzgerald, Cuyahoga Arts & Culture Executive Director Karen Gahl-Mills, Creative Workforce Fellows, Gordon Square Arts District Director Joy Roller, and arts and civic leaders. Location: 6415 Detroit Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio
10:05 am - 11:05 am		Tour of Playhouse Square  Participants: Executive Director of Playhouse Square Art Falco, Cleveland PlayHouse Managing Director Kevin Moore, Cleveland State University Executive-in-Residence Steve Minter, and COO and CEO of ideastream Kit Jensen and Jerry Wareham.         Location: State Theatre, 1519 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio
12:00 pm - 2:00 pm		Speech at City Club of Cleveland -- "Creative Placemaking: Using the Arts to Drive Community Revitalization." Open to the public. Click here to register.         Location: Metropolitan Club, 925 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio
2:20 pm -  3:20 pm		Tour of Collinwood neighborhood         Participants: NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman, President of Community Partnership for Arts and Culture Tom Schorgl, Councilman Michael Polensek, Community Partnership for Arts and Culture Strategic Initiatives Director Seth Beattie, Director Of Northeast Shores Community Development Corporation Brian Friedman, community residents, artists, business representatives, and community development staff.  Location: Beachland Ballroom, 15711 Waterloo, Cleveland, Ohio
3:40 pm - 4:15 pm		Tour of Rainey Institute Participants: NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman and Executive Director of the Rainey Institute Lee Lazar.         Location: 1705 E. 55th Street, Cleveland, Ohio
5:00 pm - 6:00 pm		Reception with members of local arts community at University Circle.         Location: Cleveland Institute of Art, McCullough Center in University Circle, 11610 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio
7:00 pm - 7:45 pm		Tour of The Fine Arts Association Participants: NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman and CEO of Lake Fine Arts Association Linda Wise.         Location: 38660 Mentor Avenue, Willoughby, Ohio