National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Jane Chu to Visit West Virginia December 12-13, 2016
Washington, DC –Jane Chu, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), will visit West Virginia from December 12-13, 2016. Chairman Chu will visit the Fine Arts Academy at Cabell Midland High School, VH1 Save The Music Foundation program at Barboursville Middle School, and the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences. Chairman Chu will also give the keynote address at the Arts in Our Communities 2016 Conference hosted by the West Virginia Division of Culture and History.
On Monday, December 12, Chairman Chu will tour the Fine Arts Academy at Cabell Midland High School in Ona, where she will observe student performances, interact with teachers and faculty, and learn about the important role of arts education.
Next, Chairman Chu will visit Barboursville Middle School. In 2012, Barboursville Middle School was selected to receive stringed instruments valued at $35,000 from VH1 Save The Music Foundation and the West Virginia Division of Culture and History. Chairman Chu will watch a student string concert and learn about VH1’s commitment to help schools across the country incorporate music as a core educational tool for students.
Later, Chairman Chu will tour the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences in Charleston. The Clay Center is an arts facility that houses performing arts, visual arts, and sciences, inspiring creativity, learning, and wonder. In FY 2015, the Clay Center was awarded a $10,000 grant from the NEA to support an exhibition and public engagement program featuring Los Angeles-based muralist and sculptor Mark Licari.
On Tuesday, December 13, Chairman Chu will give a keynote address at the Arts in Our Communities 2016 Conference hosted by the West Virginia Division of Culture and History. Chairman Chu will discuss her leadership initiative Creativity Connects, and the agency’s efforts to ensure every community has access to the arts.
Media should contact Judith Kargbo at kargboj@arts.gov or Caryn Gresham at Caryn.S.Gresham@wv.gov if they would like to attend any of the site visits or request an interview with Chairman Chu.
As part of the National Endowment for the Arts’ 50th anniversary celebration, the NEA created a story bank of multimedia content to showcase the impact of the arts. To date, hundreds of people from across the country, including West Virginia and the West Virginia Division of Culture and History, have submitted stories about how the arts and the National Endowment for the Arts have impacted their lives.
Monday, December 12, 2016 9:00AM- 10:30AM Site visit to Cabell Midland High School Location: 2300 U.S. 60/15, Ona, WV 25545 Participants: Jane Chu, chairman, National Endowment for the Arts Lloyd McGuffin, principal, Cabell Midland High School Randall Reid-Smith, commissioner, WV Division of Culture and History Dr. William Smith, county school superintendent, Cabell County Gayle Manchin, First Lady of West Virginia from 2005-2010 Chiho Feindler, senior director of program and policy, VH1 Save The Music Foundation
10:30AM –10:45AM Media Availability with NEA Chairman Jane Chu Location: Cabell Midland High School 2300 U.S. 60/15, Ona, WV 25545
11:00AM- 11:30AM Site visit to VH1 Save The Music Foundation program at Barboursville Middle School Location: 1400 Central Avenue, Barboursville, WV 25504 Participants: Jane Chu, chairman, National Endowment for the Arts Chiho Feindler, senior director of programs and policy, VH1 Save The Music Foundation Brent Jarrell, principal, Barboursville Middle School Joanne Jaeger Tomblin, First Lady, State of West Virginia Randall Reid-Smith, commissioner, WV Division of Culture and History
11:35AM –11:50AM Media Availability with NEA Chairman Jane Chu Location: Barboursville Middle School 1400 Central Avenue, Barboursville, WV 25504
4:30PM- 5:45PM Site Visit to the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences Location: 1 Clay Square, Charleston, WV 25301 Participants: Jane Chu, chairman, National Endowment for the Arts Al Najaar, president, Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences Joanne Jaeger Tomblin, First Lady State, West Virginia Randall Reid-Smith, commissioner, WV Division of Culture and History
Tuesday, December 13, 2016 12:00PM- 1:30PM Keynote at “Arts in Our Communities” 2016 Conference Location: Culture Center, 1900 Kanawha Blvd E, Charleston, WV 25305 Participants: Jane Chu, chairman, National Endowment for the Arts
1:30PM –1:45PM Media Availability with NEA Chairman Jane Chu Location: Culture Center 900 Kanawha Blvd E, Charleston, WV 25305
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.
Monday, December 12, 2016 9:00AM- 10:30AM Site visit to Cabell Midland High School Location: 2300 U.S. 60/15, Ona, WV 25545 Participants: Jane Chu, chairman, National Endowment for the Arts Lloyd McGuffin, principal, Cabell Midland High School Randall Reid-Smith, commissioner, WV Division of Culture and History Dr. William Smith, county school superintendent, Cabell County Gayle Manchin, First Lady of West Virginia from 2005-2010 Chiho Feindler, senior director of program and policy, VH1 Save The Music Foundation
10:30AM –10:45AM Media Availability with NEA Chairman Jane Chu Location: Cabell Midland High School 2300 U.S. 60/15, Ona, WV 25545
11:00AM- 11:30AM Site visit to VH1 Save The Music Foundation program at Barboursville Middle School Location: 1400 Central Avenue, Barboursville, WV 25504 Participants: Jane Chu, chairman, National Endowment for the Arts Chiho Feindler, senior director of programs and policy, VH1 Save The Music Foundation Brent Jarrell, principal, Barboursville Middle School Joanne Jaeger Tomblin, First Lady, State of West Virginia Randall Reid-Smith, commissioner, WV Division of Culture and History
11:35AM –11:50AM Media Availability with NEA Chairman Jane Chu Location: Barboursville Middle School 1400 Central Avenue, Barboursville, WV 25504
4:30PM- 5:45PM Site Visit to the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences Location: 1 Clay Square, Charleston, WV 25301 Participants: Jane Chu, chairman, National Endowment for the Arts Al Najaar, president, Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences Joanne Jaeger Tomblin, First Lady State, West Virginia Randall Reid-Smith, commissioner, WV Division of Culture and History
Tuesday, December 13, 2016 12:00PM- 1:30PM Keynote at “Arts in Our Communities” 2016 Conference Location: Culture Center, 1900 Kanawha Blvd E, Charleston, WV 25305 Participants: Jane Chu, chairman, National Endowment for the Arts
1:30PM –1:45PM Media Availability with NEA Chairman Jane Chu Location: Culture Center 900 Kanawha Blvd E, Charleston, WV 25305
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.
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Contact
Judith Kargbo (NEA Public Affairs), kargboj@arts.gov, (202) 682-5528
Caryn S. Gresham (WV Division of Culture and History) caryn.s.gresham@wv.gov, (304) 558-0220
