Washington, DC— On September 9, 2019, National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Mary Anne Carter will join Senator Chris Coons in Wilmington, Delaware. In addition to touring arts facilities and meeting with local arts leaders, they will have a public conversation about the impact of the arts in Delaware communities. First, Chairman Carter and Senator Coons will visit the Grand Opera House, which was awarded a $15,000 National Endowment for the Arts grant in 2018 to support sensory-friendly family performances. With this grant, the Grand integrates sensory-friendly resources for patrons with autism or other sensory-related disabilities and their families into seasonal programming.   That afternoon, Chairman Carter and Senator Coons will participate in a discussion before local arts leaders and interested members of the public at the Delaware Art Museum, which was awarded a $15,000 Arts Endowment grant in 2019 to support artistic presentations that address the theme of gender equality in the Caribbean. Paul Weagraff, director of the Delaware Division of the Arts, will lead the conversation and Chairman Carter will talk about the ways the Arts Endowment supports the arts at the state and local level. The discussion will be followed by questions from the audience, giving her an opportunity to learn more about the role of the arts in Delaware communities. Members of the media who wish to attend the following site visits should RSVP to Allison Hill at the National Endowment for the Arts Office of Public Affairs at hilla@arts.gov or 202-682-5037.   Monday, September 9, 2019 11:00-11:45AM  Site Visit to the Grand Opera House Location:  818 N. Market Street, Wilmington, DE 19801 1:00-2:00PM  Moderated Discussion and Q & A Location:   Delaware Art Museum, 2301 Kentmere Parkway, Wilmington, DE 19806 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.