NEA Chairman Jane Chu to Visit Boston May 4, 2015
Washington, DC—NEA Chairman Jane Chu will visit Boston, Massachusetts, on Monday, May 4, 2015, at the invitation of Jim Canales, president and trustee of the Barr Foundation. As part of this visit, Chu, Canales, and Anita Walker, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Cultural Council, will visit arts organizations, meet with local arts leaders, and tour areas where the arts are a core part of community revitalization efforts. Follow @NEAJaneChu, @BarrFdn, @jcanales, @masscultural and the hashtag #NEAinMA on Twitter for updates and photos from her trip to Boston.
The morning will focus on a visit to the Upham’s Corner neighborhood in Dorchester and the Fairmount Cultural Corridor—a three-year-old, continuing effort to use arts and culture as a catalyst for community revitalization. The visit will begin with a walking tour of Upham’s Corner, including The Strand Theatre and the train station, led by Harry Smith of Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative and Lori Lobenstine of Design Studio for Social Innovation. Chairman Chu will then participate in an in-depth discussion on creative placemaking and its role in community and economic development, co-moderated by San San Wong of the Barr Foundation and Harry Smith.
That afternoon, Chairman Chu will visit Emerson College to learn more about its arts programming, including ArtsEmerson, HowlRound, and Ploughshares literary journal. This visit will include seeing and discussing how the arts have been central to the revitalization of Boston’s downtown area. The Massachusetts Cultural Council will present on the newest effort, Boston’s Literary Cultural District, the first such district in the country, in which Emerson and other NEA grantees are partners.
Next, Chairman Chu will visit Artists for Humanity, including a tour of the facility and meetings with students taking part in the Youth Arts Enterprise, an arts apprenticeship program for Boston-area teens.
Chairman Chu will conclude her visit to Boston at a reception with representatives from NEA grantee organizations and other local arts leaders.
The following events are closed to the public but open to media; however, media must RSVP to attend in advance by contacting NEA Public Affairs at auclaire@arts.gov or 202-682-5744.
Monday, May 4, 2015
9:25–10:00am Walking tour of Upham’s Corner
Location: Tour will begin at the Fairmount Innovation Lab, 584 Columbia Road, Boston, MA 02125
Participants:
Jane Chu, chairman, National Endowment for the Arts
James E. Canales, president and trustee, Barr Foundation
Anita Walker, executive director, Massachusetts Cultural Council
Harry Smith, director of sustainable and economic development, Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative
Julie Burros, chief of arts and culture, City of Boston
Paul Grogan, president and CEO, The Boston Foundation
Lori Lobenstine, principal, Design Studio for Social Innovation
Jason Schupbach, director of design programs, National Endowment for the Arts
San San Wong, senior program officer, Arts & Culture, Barr Foundation
10:15–11:00am Moderated discussion about the arts and community and economic development Location: Fairmount Innovation Lab, 584 Columbia Road, Boston, MA 02125 Participants: Jane Chu, chairman, National Endowment for the Arts James E. Canales, president and trustee, Barr Foundation Anita Walker, executive director, Massachusetts Cultural Council Harry Smith, director of sustainable and economic development, Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative San San Wong, senior program officer, Arts & Culture, Barr Foundation Ramona Alexander, arts and culture manager, Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative Liora Beer, founding executive director, ArtMorpheus Marlon Forrester, ExpressingBoston Public Art Fellow Risa Horn, artist-in-residence, Dudley Street Lori Lobenstine, principal, Design Studio for Social Innovation Marvin Martin, executive director, Greater Four Corners Action Coalition Aziza Robinson-Goodnight, artist-in-transit, Fairmount Cultural Corridor Julie Burros, chief of arts and culture, City of Boston Paul Grogan, president and CEO, The Boston Foundation Jason Schupbach, director of design programs, National Endowment for the Arts Executives from local Main Street associations and NEA Our Town grantees
1:45–2:45pm Site visit to Emerson College Location: This site visit will begin with a walking tour from City Hall to The Paramount Center (arrival time: 2:00pm). City Hall: One City Hall Square, Boston, MA 02201 The Paramount Center: 559 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02111 Participants: Jane Chu, chairman, National Endowment for the Arts James E. Canales, president and trustee, Barr Foundation Anita Walker, executive director, Massachusetts Cultural Council David Dower, vice president, Office of the Arts, Emerson College; artistic director, ArtsEmerson David Howse, associate vice president, Office of the Arts; managing director, ArtsEmerson Susan Chinsen, festival director, Boston Asian American Film Festival Meri Jenkins, program manager, cultural districts, Adams Arts Program, Massachusetts Cultural Council Ladette Randolph, executive-in-chief and executive director, Ploughshares San San Wong, senior program officer, Arts & Culture, Barr Foundation Jason Schupbach, director of design programs, National Endowment for the Arts
4:15–5:00pm Site visit to Artists for Humanity Location: Artists for Humanity EpiCenter, 100 West Second Street, Boston, MA 02127 Participants: Jane Chu, chairman, National Endowment for the Arts James E. Canales, president and trustee, Barr Foundation Anita Walker, executive director, Massachusetts Cultural Council Susan Rodgerson, co-founder, executive/artistic director, Artists for Humanity Jason Talbot, co-founder, special projects director, Artists for Humanity San San Wong, senior program officer, Arts & Culture, Barr Foundation Jason Schupbach, director of design programs, National Endowment for the Arts
5:00–6:00pm Reception with arts community (Please note that this reception is not open to the public.) Location: Artists for Humanity EpiCenter, 100 West Second Street, Boston, MA 02127 Participants: Jane Chu, chairman, National Endowment for the Arts James E. Canales, president and trustee, Barr Foundation Anita Walker, executive director, Massachusetts Cultural Council San San Wong, senior program officer, Arts & Culture, Barr Foundation Jason Schupbach, director of design programs, National Endowment for the Arts NEA grantees Local and state arts leaders
10:15–11:00am Moderated discussion about the arts and community and economic development Location: Fairmount Innovation Lab, 584 Columbia Road, Boston, MA 02125 Participants: Jane Chu, chairman, National Endowment for the Arts James E. Canales, president and trustee, Barr Foundation Anita Walker, executive director, Massachusetts Cultural Council Harry Smith, director of sustainable and economic development, Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative San San Wong, senior program officer, Arts & Culture, Barr Foundation Ramona Alexander, arts and culture manager, Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative Liora Beer, founding executive director, ArtMorpheus Marlon Forrester, ExpressingBoston Public Art Fellow Risa Horn, artist-in-residence, Dudley Street Lori Lobenstine, principal, Design Studio for Social Innovation Marvin Martin, executive director, Greater Four Corners Action Coalition Aziza Robinson-Goodnight, artist-in-transit, Fairmount Cultural Corridor Julie Burros, chief of arts and culture, City of Boston Paul Grogan, president and CEO, The Boston Foundation Jason Schupbach, director of design programs, National Endowment for the Arts Executives from local Main Street associations and NEA Our Town grantees
1:45–2:45pm Site visit to Emerson College Location: This site visit will begin with a walking tour from City Hall to The Paramount Center (arrival time: 2:00pm). City Hall: One City Hall Square, Boston, MA 02201 The Paramount Center: 559 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02111 Participants: Jane Chu, chairman, National Endowment for the Arts James E. Canales, president and trustee, Barr Foundation Anita Walker, executive director, Massachusetts Cultural Council David Dower, vice president, Office of the Arts, Emerson College; artistic director, ArtsEmerson David Howse, associate vice president, Office of the Arts; managing director, ArtsEmerson Susan Chinsen, festival director, Boston Asian American Film Festival Meri Jenkins, program manager, cultural districts, Adams Arts Program, Massachusetts Cultural Council Ladette Randolph, executive-in-chief and executive director, Ploughshares San San Wong, senior program officer, Arts & Culture, Barr Foundation Jason Schupbach, director of design programs, National Endowment for the Arts
4:15–5:00pm Site visit to Artists for Humanity Location: Artists for Humanity EpiCenter, 100 West Second Street, Boston, MA 02127 Participants: Jane Chu, chairman, National Endowment for the Arts James E. Canales, president and trustee, Barr Foundation Anita Walker, executive director, Massachusetts Cultural Council Susan Rodgerson, co-founder, executive/artistic director, Artists for Humanity Jason Talbot, co-founder, special projects director, Artists for Humanity San San Wong, senior program officer, Arts & Culture, Barr Foundation Jason Schupbach, director of design programs, National Endowment for the Arts
5:00–6:00pm Reception with arts community (Please note that this reception is not open to the public.) Location: Artists for Humanity EpiCenter, 100 West Second Street, Boston, MA 02127 Participants: Jane Chu, chairman, National Endowment for the Arts James E. Canales, president and trustee, Barr Foundation Anita Walker, executive director, Massachusetts Cultural Council San San Wong, senior program officer, Arts & Culture, Barr Foundation Jason Schupbach, director of design programs, National Endowment for the Arts NEA grantees Local and state arts leaders
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Contact
Liz Auclair (NEA), auclaire@arts.gov, 202-682-5744
Mary Duggan (Barr Foundation), mduggan@barrfoundation.org, 617-854-3137
