News

NEA Jazz Master and Artistic Director, Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks OrchestraDavid Baker discusses his immersion into jazz, from playing to composing to teaching.

On Thursday, June 17 at 12:00 noon, Bonnie Pitman, The Eugene McDermott Director of the Dallas Museum of Art, will offer NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman and Linda and Callie Fuller a tour of Coastlines: Images of Land and Sea. Following the tour, the Fullers will record a video message about their visit to send to Callie's father, a member of the National Guard who is currently deployed overseas.

The Birmingham Sunlights discuss the creation of their group and their unique "Birmingham sound."

As we had previously announced, Maryland Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) has agreed to join Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY) as a co-chair of the Senate Cultural Caucus. Mikulski, who succeeds Sen. Ted Kennedy in this role on the Senate Cultural Caucus. Mikulski announced her decision to Maryland arts advocates on national Arts Advocacy Day.  The Senate Cultural Caucus has grown from 30 members a year ago to 38 members currently. In addition to Sen. Mikulski, Sen. Gillabrand (D-NY) also recently joined.  You can view the most recent caucus list here. 

In his latest stop on the Art Works tour across America, scheduled for June 2 and 3, NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman will visit Chicago, Illinois. Chairman Landesman is coming to the city at the invitation of the MacArthur Foundation and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs.

We talk with playwright Rajiv Joseph whose play, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, was an Outstanding New American Play selection of NEA's New Play Development Project and a 2010 finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Theater.

Star of stage and screen--and winner of just about every performance award--Rita Moreno talks about her life as a performing artist.

Rocco and Blue Star Families Chairman Kathy Roth-Douquet announced the launch of Blue Star Museums, a partnership with more than 600 museums across America to offer free admission to all active duty military personnel and their families from Memorial Day through Labor Day 2010.

Dancer/choreographer Elizabeth Streb, dance historian Suzanne Carbonneau, and Merce Cunningham Dance Company Executive Director Trevor Carlson discuss the tremendous impact made by the trailblazing choreographer Merce Cunningham.

Arts and Economic Prosperity III Chicago Press Conference

Arts Advocacy Day was officially kicked off at a Congressional Arts Breakfast on Capitol Hill, organized by Americans for the Arts in conjunction with the Congressional Arts Caucus. The Congressional Arts Breakfast featured brief talks by Members of Congress and celebrity guests.

Arts Advocacy Day was officially kicked off at a Congressional Arts Breakfast on Capitol Hill, organized by Americans for the Arts in conjunction with the Congressional Arts Caucus. The Congressional Arts Breakfast featured brief talks by Members of Congress and celebrity guests.

Arts Advocacy Day was officially kicked off at a Congressional Arts Breakfast on Capitol Hill, organized by Americans for the Arts in conjunction with the Congressional Arts Caucus. The Congressional Arts Breakfast featured brief talks by Members of Congress and celebrity guests.

Arts Advocacy Day was officially kicked off at a Congressional Arts Breakfast on Capitol Hill, organized by Americans for the Arts in conjunction with the Congressional Arts Caucus. The Congressional Arts Breakfast featured brief talks by Members of Congress and celebrity guests.

Arts Advocacy Day was officially kicked off at a Congressional Arts Breakfast on Capitol Hill, organized by Americans for the Arts in conjunction with the Congressional Arts Caucus. The Congressional Arts Breakfast featured brief talks by Members of Congress and celebrity guests.

Arts Advocacy Day was officially kicked off at a Congressional Arts Breakfast on Capitol Hill, organized by Americans for the Arts in conjunction with the Congressional Arts Caucus. The Congressional Arts Breakfast featured brief talks by Members of Congress and celebrity guests.

Arts Advocacy Day was officially kicked off at a Congressional Arts Breakfast on Capitol Hill, organized by Americans for the Arts in conjunction with the Congressional Arts Caucus. The Congressional Arts Breakfast featured brief talks by Members of Congress and celebrity guests.

Arts Advocacy Day was officially kicked off at a Congressional Arts Breakfast on Capitol Hill, organized by Americans for the Arts in conjunction with the Congressional Arts Caucus. The Congressional Arts Breakfast featured brief talks by Members of Congress and celebrity guests.

Award-winning authors to appear statewide

The Massachusetts Legislature has approved a state budget for the new fiscal year that calls for $6.5 million for the Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund and a $400,000 budget increase for the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC).