NEA Chairman Jane Chu to Visit Miami-Dade County, Florida

Washington, DC—NEA Chairman Jane Chu will visit Miami-Dade County, Florida, December 1–3, 2014. Her trip will include visits to the National YoungArts Foundation, Jorge M. Pérez Art Museum of Miami-Dade County, Opa-Locka Community Development Corporation, and New World Symphony. In addition, on December 2nd, Chairman Chu will speak at a town meeting at the Jorge M. Pérez Art Museum of Miami-Dade County. Follow @NEAJaneChu on twitter for photos and commentary on her visit to Miami. On December 1st from 4:45–5:30pm, Chairman Chu will tour the National YoungArts Foundation's national headquarters. Paul T. Lehr, president & CEO of the National YoungArts Foundation, will lead the tour, which will include the landmarked Tower and Jewel Box buildings, as well as, a sneak-peek of Ted's at YoungArts, a cultural lounge and eatery opening in December, and the exhibition Zero Tolerance: Miami, opening in the YoungArts Gallery on December 3 in partnership with MoMA PS1. She will begin her day on December 2nd at 9:00am with Michael Spring, senior advisor to Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez and director of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, at a town meeting hosted by the department at the Jorge M. Pérez Art Museum of Miami-Dade County. Chairman Chu will discuss the role of the arts in celebrating diversity and bringing communities together and take questions from the audience. This event is open to the public but space is limited. Members of the public can RSVP bit.ly/miamitownmtg. Following this event, Chairman Chu will have limited availability for media interviews. Media who wish to request an interview or attend the event should contact Liz Auclair at auclaire@arts.gov or 202-682-5744. Pérez Art Museum Miami Director Thom Collins will lead a tour of the new museum, which opened last year in the heart of downtown Miami alongside Biscayne Bay. The tour will include unique aspects of the building’s state-of-the-art architecture, exhibitions including the first U.S. retrospective of Brazilian artist Beatriz Milhazes, and the Knight Education Center, which facilitates the largest art education program in Miami Dade County, outside the school system. Later in the afternoon on December 2nd, Chairman Chu will meet with the Opa-Locka Community Development Corporation (OLCDC). Following  a discussion about how OLCDC has infused the arts into their revitalization efforts, Chairman Chu will tour the downtown and Magnolia North neighborhood, where the NEA helped to support the design and planning of public spaces through an Our Town grant. On December 3rd, Chairman Chu will join Howard Herring, president and CEO of New World Symphony, for a tour of New World Center the campus of the New World Symphony, America’s Orchestral Academy.The NEA supports New World Symphony's program to prepare young artists for successful musicianship in the orchestral field. Each year it offers 87 fellows the opportunity to study alongside many of the greatest artists in the classical music world, while also learning from business and industry leaders through an experiential curriculum.   Members of the media who wish to attend the following site visits or events should RSVP to Liz Auclair at auclaire@arts.gov or 202-682-5744. Monday, December 1, 2014 4:45–5:30pm  Tour of National YoungArts Foundation's national headquarters Location: 2100 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami, FL

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December 2, 2014 9:00–10:00am  Remarks and Q&A at Town Meeting, hosted by Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs. This event is open to the public but space is limited. Members of the public can RSVP at bit.ly/miamitownmtg Location: Jorge M. Pérez Art Museum of Miami-Dade County, 1103 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, FL

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10:00–10:30am  Media availability with NEA Chairman Jane Chu. Media who wish to request a short interview should contact Liz Auclair at auclaire@arts.gov or 202-682-5744. Location: Jorge M. Pérez Art Museum of Miami-Dade County, 1103 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, FL

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10:30–11:00am  Tour of Jorge M. Pérez Art Museum of Miami-Dade County Location: 1103 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, FL

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2:00–3:30pm  Visit to Opa-Locka Community Development Corporation (tour from 3:00-3:30pm) Location: 675 Ali Baba Ave, Opa-locka, Florida

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December 3, 2014 11:15–12:00pm  Tour of New World Center Location:  500 17th Street, Miami Beach, FL. (Media may enter via the garage adjoining the building on the west side. Enter the garage from Lincoln Lane (off Pennsylvania Avenue).  Take the elevator down to the first floor, and the security guard can let you in. Alternatively, come to Lincoln Lane, in between Drexel and  Pennsylvania Avenues. There is a large silver gate there that the security  guard can open for you.)

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