Washington, DC –Jane Chu, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), will visit Dallas, Texas, November 28-29, 2016. Her trip will include remarks at the Dallas Arts District Community Breakfast and stops at local arts organizations, including the Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Big Thought, Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and Dallas Opera.  On Monday, November 28, Chairman Chu will visit Dallas Black Dance Theatre (DBDT) where she will tour the facility, see a performance, learn more about the programs DBDT provides, and participate in a roundtable discussion on cultural equity and the role of the arts.  In FY 2016, Dallas Black Dance Theatre received a grant from the NEA to support its 2016 Cultural Awareness series, which included three world premieres.   Next, Chairman Chu will visit Raul Quintanilla Middle School where she will learn more about the after school and community programs coordinated by Big Thought. This stop will begin with a discussion with community leaders about Dallas City of Learning, a system supported by the NEA, which ensures all students have access to creative summer learning opportunities that stem summer learning loss. Chairman Chu will also observe Big Thought’s DaVerse Works, an after-school program that provides a place for middle and high school students to find their voice through performance art and the spoken word. On Tuesday, November 29, Chairman Chu will give the keynote address at the Dallas Arts District Community Breakfast. There she will address Dallas Arts District volunteers and people representing cultural organizations, artists and key stakeholders in the Dallas Arts community. Chairman Chu will discuss her signature leadership initiative, Creativity Connects, the NEA’s newly expanded Creative Forces: NEA Military Healing Arts Network, and the agency’s efforts to ensure every community has access to the arts. Following the breakfast keynote, Chairman Chu will visit the Dallas Museum of Art. While at the museum, she will tour galleries, learn about the museum’s Education and Access Programs, and discuss its outreach efforts in the Dallas community.  In FY 2016, the Dallas Museum of Art received an NEA grant to support a formative evaluation study with residents in South Dallas for the Dallas Museum of Art's educational programs and initiatives.  The evaluation will identify barriers to attendance and participation at the museum, as well as explore the types of content and delivery methods that could drive future engagement. That afternoon, Chairman Chu will tour the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, home of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra (DSO) and learn about their programs. In FY 2016, DSO received an NEA grant to support premiere performances of new orchestral works by American composers Christopher Rouse and Jeremy Gill, with related educational activities.   To conclude the visit, Chairman Chu will visit The Dallas Opera. There she will tour the Winspear Opera House and learn more about programs the company offers, like the Hart Institute for Women Conductors.  In FY 2016, the Dallas Opera received a grant to support the performances of Moby-Dick by composer Jake Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer.  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. 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 Texas, have submitted stories about how the arts and the National Endowment for the Arts have impacted their lives.

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                                Monday, November 28, 2016 1:30PM- 3:00PM               Site visit to Dallas Black Dance Theatre   Location:                              2700 Ann Williams Way, Dallas, TX 75201 Participants:                       Jane Chu, chairman, National Endowment for the Arts Gary Gibbs, executive director, Texas Commission on the Arts Zenetta S. Drew, executive director, Dallas Black Dance Theatre  Ann Williams, founder/artistic advisor, Dallas Black Dance Theatre Georgia Scaife, board president, Dallas Black Dance Theatre Gilbert Gerst, board chairman, Dallas Black Dance Theatre Jennifer Scripps, director, Office of Cultural Affairs          Sylvia Hougland, vice chair, Cultural Affairs Commission Lauren Embrey, philanthropic vision and chair, Embrey Family Foundation Kevin Hurst, director of charitable giving, Neiman Marcus Group

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3:30PM –4:45PM              Big Thought Site Visit  Location:                          Raul Quintanilla Middle School                                         2700 ​Remond Drive, Dallas, TX 75211 Participants:                       Jane Chu, chairman, National Endowment for the Arts Gigi Antoni, president and CEO, Big Thought Guy Bruggeman, art and programming coordinator, Dallas Love Field Janiece Evans-Page, vice president, Fossil Global Giving and Fossil Foundation David Fisher, assistant director, Office of Cultural Affairs Antoine Joyce, city leader, All Stars Project Dallas Kjerstine Nielsen, assistant director, Dallas Public Library Erin Offord, senior director of programs, Big Thought Will Richey, founder, Journeyman Ink

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4:45PM –5:00PM              Media Availability   Location:                             Raul Quintanilla Middle School

                   2700 ​Remond Drive, Dallas, TX 75211

Participants:                       Jane Chu, chairman, National Endowment for the Arts

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                                                Tuesday, November 29, 2016 7:15AM- 9:00AM              Remarks at Dallas Arts District Community Breakfast Location:                             Belo Mansion, 2101 Ross Ave, Dallas, TX 75201 Participants:                       Jane Chu, chairman, National Endowment for the Arts Lily Cabatu Weiss, executive director, Dallas Arts District

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10:00AM- 11:00AM           Site visit to Dallas Museum of Art Location:                              1717 North Harwood Street, Dallas, TX 75201 Participants:                       Jane Chu, chairman, National Endowment for the Arts Agustín Arteaga, The Eugene McDermott Director, Dallas Museum of Art Amanda Blake, Interim Director of Education, Dallas Museum of Art

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11:00AM –11:15AM         Media Availability   Location:                           Dallas Museum of Art

      1717 North Harwood Street, Dallas, TX 75201

Participants:                       Jane Chu, chairman, National Endowment for the Arts

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2:30PM- 3:15PM               Site visit to Dallas Symphony Orchestra Location:                             2301 Flora Street, Dallas, TX 75201 Participants:                       Jane Chu, chairman, National Endowment for the Arts Jonathan Martin, president and CEO, Dallas Symphony Orchestra Gary Gibbs, executive director, Texas Commission on the Arts Joseph H. Hubach, board chairman, Dallas Symphony Orchestra

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3:30PM- 5:45PM             Site visit to The Dallas Opera House Location:                           2403 Flora Street, Dallas, TX 75201 Participants:                     Jane Chu, chairman, National Endowment for the Arts Keith Cerny, general director and CEO, Dallas Opera House Holly Mayer, chairman, Dallas Opera House  John Toia, director of production, Dallas Opera House Carrie Ellen Adamian, director of marketing, Dallas Opera House  Suzanne Calvin, director of media and public relations, Dallas Opera House                                

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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 Art : Texas