Washington, DC -- NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman will visit Newark and Rahway, New Jersey, on October 10 as part of his Art Works tour. His visit is hosted by the NJ Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), the Union County Performing Arts Center (UCPAC), and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. The evening of the 10th, Landesman will speak at the Harlem School of the Arts Fall 2012 Benefit in honor of Herb Alpert at Lincoln Center's Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse in New York. Landesman will begin his day in Newark, where he will provide opening remarks at a panel discussion on arts education at 12:00 p.m. at NJPAC. The panel will focus on the importance of arts education and touch on key points including a national perspective on education reform; New Jersey's historical commitment to the arts in schools; a statewide view of the status of arts education; and a first-hand account of how the arts help build critical life skills. Dr. Clement Price, Rutgers University Board of Governors Distinguished Service Professor of History and director of the Institute on Ethnicity, Culture, and the Modern Experience, will moderate the panel, which will also include the NEA's Director of Arts Education, Ayanna Hudson; Bob Morrison, chair of the New Jersey Arts Education Partnership; Donna Serio, retired director of Franklin Township's Fine and Performing Arts; and 2008 New Jersey Poetry Out Loud Champion Allison Trujillo Strong. Following this event, Landesman will travel to Rahway to meet with project leaders for RAHWAY ARTsPART. In July 2012, the UCPAC received an NEA Our Town grant in support of this project, which is designed to harness the opening of Hamilton Stage by supporting a series of creative performances and community engagement activities. UCPAC will collaborate with a wide array of artistic and community partners on this project, including the City of Rahway's Redevelopment Agency, Arts Guild New Jersey, LuceGroup, and Rahway Arts District. At 3:30 p.m., Landesman will participate in a panel discussion on creative placemaking at Hamilton Stage. Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno will provide opening remarks and the panel will be moderated by Dr. Carol Cronheim, Assistant Secretary of State. In addition to Landesman, the panel will include Jean Holtz, vice president of the New Brunswick Development Corporation; Jim Kennedy, former Mayor of Rahway and vice president of the Board of UCPAC; and Leo Vazquez, director of Arts Build Communities. That evening, Landesman will speak at the Fall 2012 Benefit reception in honoring musician, artist, and philanthropist Herb Alpert for his support of the Harlem School of the Arts. Harlem School of the Arts is a community-based cultural and educational institution serving children and families of all backgrounds for more than 50 years. Please see below for the full schedule:

12:00–1:15 p.m.	Panel discussion on arts education with opening remarks by NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman   Location: New Jersey Performing Arts Center, 1 Center Street, Newark, NJ 07102 Moderator:  Dr. Clement Price, Rutgers University Board of Governors Distinguished Service Professor of History, and Director of the Institute on Ethnicity, Culture, and the Modern Experience Panelists: Ayanna Hudson, Arts Education Director, National Endowment for the Arts Bob Morrison, Chair, New Jersey Arts Education Partnership and Founder, Quadrant Arts Education Research  Donna Serio, Retired Director, Fine and Performing Arts, Franklin Township Allison Trujillo Strong, 2008 New Jersey Poetry Out Loud  Champion  * This event is open to the public but space is limited. RSVP to rsvp@njpac.org.
3:30–4:30 p.m.	Panel discussion on creative placemaking with opening remarks by Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno   Location: Hamilton Stage for the Performing Arts, 360 Hamilton Street, Rahway, NJ 07065 Moderator:  Dr. Carol Cronheim, Assistant Secretary of State Panelists:  NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman Jim Kennedy, former Mayor of Rahway and vice president of the Board of Union County Arts Center Jean Holtz, Vice President, New Brunswick Development Corporation Leo Vazquez, Director, Arts Build Communities * This event is open to the public but space is limited. RSVP to Danni@ucpac.org
6:00–7:00 p.m.	Remarks by Chairman Landesman at reception in honor of Herb Alpert at Harlem School of the Arts Fall 2012 Benefit. Formal program to follow reception.   Location: 165 West 65th (between Amsterdam & Broadway), 10th Floor, Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse at Lincoln Center, New York, New York 10023 *For ticket information, visit Harlem School of the Arts' website. Press who wish to attend should contact helen@finnpartners.com.