National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Jane Chu to Visit Boston, Massachusetts June 17-18, 2016
Washington, DC—National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Jane Chu will visit Boston, Massachusetts, from June 17- 18, 2016. The trip will include visits to NEA grantees the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), GrubStreet, and Project STEP, as well as a reception hosted by the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) to highlight new investments in creative youth development. Chairman Chu will also address the morning plenary session of the Americans for the Arts (AFTA) 2016 Annual Convention. Follow @NEAJaneChu on Twitter for updates and photos on her trip to Boston.
On June 17, Chairman Chu will visit the MFA, where she will tour the NEA-supported Megacities Asia exhibit featuring contemporary artists from Asian countries whose art reflects issues related to scarcity of natural resources, population explosions, and income inequality.
Next, Chairman Chu will tour the creative writing center GrubStreet, where she will learn more about the center’s history, current programming, and also meet with current students and instructors. During this visit, Chairman Chu will also join partners on Boston’s Literary Cultural District for a discussion about this project.
Then, Chairman Chu will visit the Boston Symphony Orchestra to meet with Project STEP leadership, as well as current students, about their experience with the program. Project STEP’s mission is to provide comprehensive music and string instrument instruction to musically talented children from underrepresented Boston and surrounding communities.
Immediately following this discussion, Chairman Chu will attend an event hosted by the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) to highlight a recent NEA grant to the National Guild for Community Arts Education to support a collective impact initiative and the creation of the first-ever blueprint to advance creative youth development (CYD). Chairman Chu will join partners on this project to discuss the importance of creative youth development, which integrates the arts, humanities, and sciences with youth development principles. Following the remarks, there will be a short performance by Project STEP students. This event is open to media but closed to the public.
On June 18, Chairman Chu will give remarks at AFTA’s 2016 Annual Convention morning plenary session entitled “Arts and Community Health, Vibrancy, and Equity.” Media who wish to attend this session should contact Inga Vitols with American for the Arts at ivitols@artsusa.org or 202-371-2830.
As part of the National Endowment for the Arts’ 50th anniversary, the NEA created a story bank of multimedia content that showcases the impact of the arts. To date, hundreds of people from across the country, including Massachusetts, have submitted stories about how the arts and the National Endowment for the Arts have impacted their lives. Visit the NEA’s website to learn more about these stories and to see a video about the arts in Massachusetts.
The following events are closed to the public, except where noted, but open to media. 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.
Friday, June 17, 2016 9:30–10:30AM Site visit to Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA) Location: 465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115 Participants: Jane Chu, chairman, National Endowment for the Arts Katie Getchell, Chief Brand Officer, Deputy Director Rachel Harrington, Director of Institutional Relations and Annual Philanthropy, MFA Jessica Schor, Manager, Foundation and Government Relations, MFA Laura Weinstein, Ananda Coomaraswamy Curator of South Asian and Islamic Art, MFA 11:00AM–12:15PM Site visit to GrubStreet and tour of Literary Cultural District Location: 162 Boylston Street, 5th Floor, Boston, MA 02116 Participants: Jane Chu, chairman, National Endowment for the Arts Eve Bridburg, Founder and Executive Director, GrubStreet Sonya Larson, Assistant Muse Director, GrubStreet 12:30PM–1:00PM Site visit to Project STEP Location: Symphony Hall Stage Door, 301 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02115 Participants: Jane Chu, chairman, National Endowment for the Arts Mary Saudek Jaffee, Executive Director, Project STEP 1:00PM–2:00PM Creative Youth Development Reception Location: Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO),301 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02115 Participants: Jane Chu, chairman, National Endowment for the Arts Anita Walker, Executive Director, Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) Mary Jaffe, Executive Director, Project STEP Mark Volpe, Managing Director, Boston Symphony Orchestra Ryan Losey, BSO Director of Foundation & Govt. Relations Jonathan Herman, Executive Director, National Guild for Community Arts Education
Saturday, June 18, 2016 9:00AM–11:45AM Americans for the Arts (AFTA) National Conference 2016 Morning Plenary: The Arts and Community Health, Vibrancy, and Equity Location: John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center, 900 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02115 Participants: Jane Chu, chairman, National Endowment for the Arts Donna Brazile, Political Analyst, Vice Chairwoman, Democratic National Committee 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 2016. Go to the 50th section at arts.gov to enjoy art stories from around the nation, peruse the Facts & Figures section, and check out the anniversary timeline.
Friday, June 17, 2016 9:30–10:30AM Site visit to Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA) Location: 465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115 Participants: Jane Chu, chairman, National Endowment for the Arts Katie Getchell, Chief Brand Officer, Deputy Director Rachel Harrington, Director of Institutional Relations and Annual Philanthropy, MFA Jessica Schor, Manager, Foundation and Government Relations, MFA Laura Weinstein, Ananda Coomaraswamy Curator of South Asian and Islamic Art, MFA 11:00AM–12:15PM Site visit to GrubStreet and tour of Literary Cultural District Location: 162 Boylston Street, 5th Floor, Boston, MA 02116 Participants: Jane Chu, chairman, National Endowment for the Arts Eve Bridburg, Founder and Executive Director, GrubStreet Sonya Larson, Assistant Muse Director, GrubStreet 12:30PM–1:00PM Site visit to Project STEP Location: Symphony Hall Stage Door, 301 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02115 Participants: Jane Chu, chairman, National Endowment for the Arts Mary Saudek Jaffee, Executive Director, Project STEP 1:00PM–2:00PM Creative Youth Development Reception Location: Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO),301 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02115 Participants: Jane Chu, chairman, National Endowment for the Arts Anita Walker, Executive Director, Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) Mary Jaffe, Executive Director, Project STEP Mark Volpe, Managing Director, Boston Symphony Orchestra Ryan Losey, BSO Director of Foundation & Govt. Relations Jonathan Herman, Executive Director, National Guild for Community Arts Education
Saturday, June 18, 2016 9:00AM–11:45AM Americans for the Arts (AFTA) National Conference 2016 Morning Plenary: The Arts and Community Health, Vibrancy, and Equity Location: John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center, 900 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02115 Participants: Jane Chu, chairman, National Endowment for the Arts Donna Brazile, Political Analyst, Vice Chairwoman, Democratic National Committee 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 2016. Go to the 50th section at arts.gov to enjoy art stories from around the nation, peruse the Facts & Figures section, and check out the anniversary timeline.
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Contact
Judith Kargbo, NEA Public Affairs, 202-682-5528
Greg Liakos, MCC, 617-858-2720
