Washington, DC—The National Council on the Arts, the advisory body for the National Endowment for the Arts, will gather in Charleston and Huntington, West Virginia, for their summer meeting, June 28 and 29, 2018. The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History (WVDACH) is hosting the NEA and the council. Council events feature tours of arts venues that are either grantees of the NEA and/or the WVDACH along with presentations by nine West Virginia artists and organizations. The council meeting on Friday, June 29 from 9:00 am – 11:30 am EST, will be webcast live. Coming to West Virginia—instead of holding the meeting per usual in Washington, DC—will allow council members to meet local NEA grantees, arts organizations, and artists and see exhibitions and performances together in Charleston. “I am delighted to welcome members of the National Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts to our great state of West Virginia,” said Governor Jim Justice. “They will have a chance to see our rich cultural history in action and the exciting things that artists and arts organizations are doing across the state for residents and visitors.” The National Council on the Arts members are nominated by the president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to advise the NEA chairman on agency policies and programs and review and make recommendations on applications for grants, funding guidelines, and leadership initiatives. Attendees available for interviews are:  National Endowment for the Arts •    Mary Anne Carter, Acting Chairman •    Tony Chauveaux, Deputy Chairman for Programs and Partnerships •    Tom Simplot, Senior Adviser to the Senior Deputy Chairman West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History  •    Randall Reid-Smith, Curator •    Lance Schrader, Director, Division of the Arts Agenda for National Council on the Arts Meeting in West Virginia The following events will be attended by members of the National Council on the Arts and staff from the National Endowment for the Arts as well as others noted below. The events are open to the public, but media interested in attending or speaking with officials must contact Victoria Hutter at the National Endowment for the Arts at hutterv@arts.gov or 202-682-5692. Thursday, June 28, 2018 1:30-2:10 pm    NEA and NCA visit the Huntington Museum of Art         Location: 2033 McCoy Rd, Huntington     2:20-3:00 pm    NEA and NCA visit the Keith Albee Performing Arts Center          Location: 925 4th Ave, Huntington     4:00-5:00 pm    NEA and NCA visit the Clay Center         Location: 1 Clay Square, Charleston             Representatives of local arts organizations will attend. The visit includes a brief performance by the West Virginia Symphony  and a tour of the facility and art galleries. 6:00-6:45 pm    Welcome event at the Culture Center at the Department of Arts, Culture and History in the Norman L. Fagan State Theater         Location: 1900 Kanawha Boulevard East, Charleston         Governor Justice (invited) welcomes attendees including NEA and NCA members and the local arts community. Performance provided by:         •    Artists from Mountain Stage         •    Concert pianist Barbara Nissman         •    Members of Greenbrier Valley Theater         Reception follows in the Great Hall Friday, June 29, 2018 Public meeting of the National Council on the Arts. The meeting will be webcast live. Location: All activities take place at the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex at 1900 Kanawha Boulevard East in Charleston     9:00 am    National Endowment for the Arts business and a rendition of the National Anthem  by Curator for the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History  Randall Reid-Smith          9:40 am    Performance by Sophie Fatu, a five-year old singing star 9:50 am    Presentation by Chiho Feindler, Senior Director of Programs and Policies,  VH1 Save The Music Foundation 10:10 am    Performance by students from Capital High School, the VIPs 10:20 am    Presentation by Jim Denova, Vice President, Benedum Foundation 10:40 am    Performance by student competitors of the national poetry recitation contest  Poetry Out Loud  10:50 am    Presentations by:         •    West Virginia Symphony Orchestra         •    Greenbrier Valley Theater         •    Contemporary American Theater Festival         •    Oglebay Institute 11:20 am    Closing Performance by Cabell Midland Jazz Knights 11:30 am    Meeting adjourned followed by lunch and meet and greet in the Great Hall. 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. About the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History is an agency under the office of governor of the State of West Virginia. The department, led by Curator Randall Reid-Smith, brings together the past, present and future through programs and services focusing on archives and history, arts, historic preservation and museums. For more information about the department’s programs, events and sites, visit www.wvculture.org. The Department of Arts, Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.