Michigan Governor Welcomes National Endowment for the Arts

Washington, DC—The National Council on the Arts, the advisory body for the National Endowment for the Arts, will gather in and around Detroit, Michigan, for their summer meeting, June 19 to 21, 2019—only the second meeting convened outside of Washington, DC in the past 29 years. “As the National Endowment for the Art’s commitment is to ensure that every American—in every community, in every neighborhood in America—has access to the arts, we are delighted to have our National Council on the Arts meeting in Michigan,” said National Endowment for the Arts Acting Chairman Mary Anne Carter. “I am pleased to welcome members of the National Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts to Michigan,” said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “This is an opportunity to showcase to a national audience Michigan’s vibrant arts and cultural scene and the diversity of the arts and cultural programming being offered across the state.” Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs (MCACA) and CultureSource are co-hosting the Arts Endowment and the council. Council events feature tours of arts venues along with presentations by Michigan artists and organizations. The public meeting on Friday, June 21 from 9:00 to 11:30 am EST, will be webcast live at arts.gov. The National Council on the Arts members are nominated by the president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to advise the National Endowment for the Arts chairman on agency policies and programs and to review and make recommendations on applications for grants, funding guidelines, and initiatives.  Agenda for National Council on the Arts Summer Meeting  The following events will be attended by members of the National Council on the Arts and staff from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and CultureSource, as well as other noted in the following schedule. Media interested in attending or speaking with officials must contact Victoria Hutter at the Arts Endowment, hutterv@arts.gov. Wednesday, June 19 3:45-5:00pm – The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn Location: 20900 Oakwood Boulevard   Attending are: •    Patricia Mooradian: CEO of The Henry Ford  •    Diana Abouali: Director of the Arab American National Museum •    Ismael Ahmed: Founder of the Concert of Colors, Former Executive Director of ACCESS, and Former Director of the State of Michigan Department of Human Services 6:00-8:00pm - Ann Arbor Summer Festival in Ann Arbor Location: 915 E. Washington St. Hosted by Aaron and Afa Dworkin in partnership with the Arts Alliance Executive Director Deb Polich. Aaron is a member of the National Council on the Arts and the only current member from Michigan. Thursday, June 20 10:15-11:15am - Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) and Sugar Hill Historic District including the N’Namdi Center for Contemporary Art (NCCA). Locations: 4454 Woodward Avenue (MOCAD) and 52 East Forest (NCCA) Attending are:  •    Elysia Borowy-Reeder: Executive Director of MOCAD  •    Izegbe N'Namdi: Director of the NCCA 1:30-4:30pm – Detroit Site Visits Pewabic Pottery: Led by Steve McBride, Executive Director Location: 10125 East Jefferson Avenue Signal-Return: Led by Lynne Avadenka, Director  Location: 1345 Division Street Motown Museum: Led by Robin Terry, CEO, including a performance by InsideOut Literary Arts youth poets.  Location: 2648 West Grand Boulevard The Alley Project: Led by Erik Howard, Founder  Location: 9101 Avis Street Friday, June 21 9:30-11:30am - National Council on the Arts Public Meeting at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African-American History Location: 315 E Warren Avenue Webcast live at arts.gov. 9:30-10:20am: Welcomes and council business 10:20-11:20am: Performances and presentations by: •    Satori Shakoor, storyteller and founder of The Secret Society of Twisted Storytellers •    Performance from El Ballet Folklórico Estudantil •    Alissa Novoselick, executive director of Living Arts and Sterling Toles, artist and teaching artist at Living Arts Detroit •    Belinda Tate, executive director at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts •    Youth ensemble members of Mosaic Youth Theatre  11:20-11:30am: Closing remarks  About the National Endowment for the Arts Established by Congress in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts 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 Arts Endowment 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. Visit arts.gov to learn more about NEA.      About the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs As the state's government's lead agency charged with developing arts and culture policy and grant-making, MCACA recognizes the need for, and seeks out, a wide variety of public and private sector partners to help fulfill this mission to encourage, initiate and facilitate an enriched artistic, cultural and creative environment in Michigan. About CultureSource CultureSource, the alliance for arts and culture organizations in Southeast Michigan, advances the work of organizations that cultivate creative and cultural expression.