The White House Honors NEA 50th Anniversary with Televised Music Special

Washington, DC—In honor of the 50^th anniversary of the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities, PBS will broadcast, “A Celebration of American Creativity: In Performance at the White House” on Friday, January 8, 2016, on PBS television stations nationwide. Check local listings for broadcast time. 

The music special begins with remarks by President Obama and features performances by celebrity musical artists, including Queen Latifah, Keb Mo, Esperanza Spalding, and Usher. Carol Burnett served as the evening’s host. The program highlights American-born musical genres including hip-hop, blues, and the American Songbook, art forms that the National Endowment for the Arts has supported over its 50-year history.  For a list of performers, go to the NEA newsroom. For the president’s opening remarks, go here. 

 

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 September 2016. Go to arts.gov/50th to enjoy art stories from around the nation, peruse Facts & Figures, and check out the anniversary timeline.

Strengthening Our Creative Capacity and America's Future: A motion graphic about the NEA